Return of the Concubine
by Lunaverserocks
Summary: Koori is a concubine again, but this time, she belongs to Fire Lord Ozai. With the help of Zhao's spiritual form, she tries to help the Gaang, Zuko, and Iroh, but she can sense her downfall. Sequel of A Concubine to Master and Betrayal. Rated for violence, rape and other sexual themes.
1. The Ship

**Thank you to all that have reviewed to past stories in the Koori saga. I hope that you enjoy this story as Koori goes through her own journey during the third book of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Again, thanks to all of my reviewers, I know that all of you guys/girls watch and wait for me to update. You have no idea how much your reviews really help me shape Koori's character. Thanks! I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

Koori woke up with a start. She looked around the dark room that she was in and immediately wanted to scream. She kept her emotions to herself once she saw Iroh sitting across from her in a cell similar to her own. She looked at the cell floor and saw that there was a small straw bed and nothing but steel to protect her skin from the harsh waters around her.

"Spppppp," she whispered.

Iroh turned around and shook his hand. He also waved his hand to tell her that now was not the right time. Koori listened intently to the guards at the front of the prison. "I can't wait to get back home. I haven't seen my family in months," said a soldier.

"Yeah, this stupid war is starting to get on my nerves. It seems like every time I get a new girlfriend, they deploy me again and the girl can't wait. I go through girls like underwear."

Koori clasped her hands on the cold bars and breathed in. It was hard to breathe and Koori knew that this is how they would stop Koori and Iroh from firebending their way out. The air had low amounts of oxygen in it and Koori coughed at the sudden intake of carbon. The guards walked up to her cautiously.

"How are you feeling?" one asked.

"You took a pretty big blow to the head," the other one said.

Koori took these people as nice officers at first, and then Iroh looked over at her and shook his head. Koori gave a genuine smile, attempting to win over these two soldiers in order to escape.

"I'm feeling better," Koori said as she grasped the back of her head and felt the bump.

"Good," said one soldier. He knelt down to her and spat in her face. "We wouldn't want the Fire Lord's new toy to be severely damaged."

Koori rubbed the spit off of her face as they walked away and out of the prison. "General, what has happened?" Koori asked.

"You were hit in the head by a rock. You are now the newest addition to my brother's hoard of concubines and slaves," Iroh said with a sigh.

Koori stared at him, lifeless. "A…concubine…?" Koori asked. The words dug deep into her soul. She vowed never to become one again.

Iroh thought that she did not know what a concubine was. "Koori," he said with a sigh. She looked up at him timidly, tears in her golden eyes. "It's a sex slave."

Koori turned red and she let her head droop between the bars of her cell. "I told myself that I would never become a concubine…ever again."

Iroh turned his body completely toward her. "You were a concubine previously?" he asked.

Koori looked at Iroh with tears now pouring down her pale cheeks. "That is what I was to Master."

The cell went silent and Iroh stared at the crying girl in front of him. He wanted to issue her words of encouragement, but nobody but the Fire Lord's brother knew how truly cruel and demented his brother was. He took in a deep breath and choked on the air. The air was horrible, no firebender without proper breath control and a healthy pair of lungs could ever firebend in this hell. Koori was turning her body away and he saw her lean forward just enough to place her hands against her face. She was crying and Iroh stared to feel his eyes water. This girl had been through so much, and nobody was there to reward her for being so brave. Iroh wanted to reach out and touch her shoulder, tell her that everything would be okay, but he couldn't, and doing so would just be a lie. He let her go. He didn't say anything and didn't move. He just kept watching the poor slave that had once lived a happier life.

The guard that had just spat in Koori's face was now walking toward Iroh. He held a set of keys in his hands and was juggling them around between his fingers. Iroh saw Koori move deeper into the shadows of her cell. He was relieved that she moved away because he did not know what the soldier had in mind. Iroh placed both of his hands on his belly and stared at the guard intently. The guard unlocked Iroh's cell and then walked in. He quickly shouted to his coworker and suddenly, Iroh was being removed from his cell. The guard chained his hands together and then chained his feet. Iroh could see through the darkness of Koori's cell and could tell that she was watching. He saw her beautiful golden-brown irises through the dark and he suddenly had the urge to apologize. He didn't know why, but he was wondering why he was being moved.

"What is the problem, soldier?" Iroh asked.

"Containment issues. We don't want you two getting any ideas now that the girl is awake," one soldier answered.

Iroh nodded. He knew that the soldier was lying. He just didn't know why. He was taken out of the prison and into another. There was a woman guard in the room and she took him to his cell. She gave him a piece of bread and some fresh water. "I only wish that I could give you more," she whispered.

Iroh looked at the woman. She looked like an average Fire Nation civilian with hazel eyes, black hair, and pale skin. Once Iroh looked deeper, he could tell that something was different about this woman. "What is your name, madam?" he asked.

The woman looked. "I will not tell you. I try not to get attached to the prisoners. But, I will be taking care of you while we are at the prison in the Fire Nation."

Iroh nodded. He was content with having such a nice woman aid him during his time in confinement. He was still puzzled as to why he was moved, though. The male guards had left a while ago and Iroh looked around his new cell. There was still the pile of hay and nothing but steel, but Iroh saw that the hay was cleaner and the prison looked like it was being taken care of. He sighed when he thought of the poor girl in the rooms next to him. That's when he heard it…the sickening sound of her screaming.

The guard eyed Koori and then whispered to his friend. She watched intently as they started to walk toward her cell, gaining momentum as they continued talking. She moved back to the darkest part of her cell as they opened the door. One followed the other as they entered and they locked it behind themselves.

"We're going to play a game," one soldier said. Koori kneeled before standing in front of him.

"I do not wish to play any game at all," she said.

"Good," the other soldier said, laughing, "because it's not up to you, and you don't decide who gets to go first."

One soldier grabbed Koori and threw her against the wall. Koori screamed. She watched the soldier undue his trousers and lift up the dress she was wearing. Koori kicked him in the gut. She wanted to firebend, but found that she couldn't take in enough air. The other soldier quickly threw Koori onto the ground and let his friend continue hiking up her dress. Koori was flailing now, and the soldier did as much as he could to keep her still. Koori screamed loudly and finally, she felt a piece of cotton being shoved into her mouth. Koori kicked, but the soldier who now had his erection fully out caught her legs and pinned them down with the inside of his arms against his sides. Koori felt his fingers against the inside of her thigh and he pulled her underwear to the side. She could then feel his member against her skin and both of the soldiers started to laugh wickedly at this point. Koori couldn't help but scream through the piece of fabric in her mouth.

The soldier shoved himself in immediately and Koori cringed in pain. She was so dry and he just threw himself in. He got into a comfortable position while his friend watched Koori writhe in pain. "Do you think she's a virgin?" he asked.

The soldier inside Koori shook his head. "Nah, there's no blood."

Koori could feel him pumping and she wanted him out. He came soon and Koori watched in horror as his friend traded places with him. He went into the same position and entered her smoothly because his friend had used his semen to make her wet. Koori struggled under the strong hands and finally gave up like she had done with Zhao many times before. The soldiers were laughing as they were raping her. The second soldier came and Koori thought that they would be done, but they weren't. They were talking as the second soldier was still deeply inside her body.

"I want to make her have an orgasm. I've never seen a true one before. Why not practice?" he said. The other quickly agreed as he stroked his covered erection. Koori gritted her teeth as he placed his finger on her clitoris while still inside her. He moved slowly at first and then started to groan like an animal while he sent shivers into Koori's legs.

Koori closed her eyes. She did not want to let these men see the forced pleasure that they were giving her. She closed her eyes so tightly that she began to cry as the soldier who was fully clothed tore open her shirt. He stared at her breast binding at first and then quickly tore through them. The soldier who was close to coming for the second time watched her breasts jiggling with delight. He grabbed a firm grasp onto one and played with the nipple until it hardened under his fingers. His friend couldn't take this anymore and as the one inside her came again, they swapped places. Koori suddenly felt her arms being tied together as the first soldier forced himself inside her. The second soldier, who was still eager for more, sat on her stomach and grabbed her breasts. He pushed his erection through the center of her breasts, literally tit-fucking her and moaned in pleasure. The first soldier who was still inside her placed his fingers on her clitoris just as the second one had. He started to play with it, making it go in circles and move gingerly to his shoving. Koori couldn't take the pressure anymore. Suddenly, the spasms hit her body like rocks and she came. Both soldiers immediately got off of or out of Koori and started to watch her while masturbating. The face that she made and the wetness of her womanhood pushed them both over the edge. The ejaculated on top of her stomach from either side and then clothed themselves.

Koori was loosened from the bindings on her arms and then watched the soldiers walked away like nothing happened. "The Fire Lord always gets the nicest things," one soldier complained.

The other looked back at Koori and smiled wickedly. "He may, but for now, we still get to play with her."

**I want to know what you think. Please review!**


	2. The Shock

**I only own Koori.**

Koori slept with her back to the open part of the cell. She didn't sleep well and she wanted to curl up into a ball and forget everything that had just happened to her. The Avatar was dead. There was no hope now. She quivered because she couldn't firebend. The ship was so cold and there was barely any light in the prison. Koori took in a deep breath and then coughed it out because of the carbon in the air. Her coughing attracted attention and she felt the shadow of a guard.

Koori's white dress was thin against the iron she was laying on. Koori remained still and managed to ignore the cold against her skin. She felt the shadow of the guard leave her cell and she moved. She pulled her knees up and leaned her head against them. Her heart was beating slowly and she wanted somebody to stare at.

"Why does this stuff happen to me, Master?" she asked in a whisper.

_I cannot answer that._

Koori took in another deep breath. Her body was craving oxygen. "Why did you want me?" she asked.

_I wanted you because I was told to kill you. Fire Lord Azulon promoted me to Captain shortly after I agreed to destroy your village. There had to be something special about you, so, I kept you._

Koori could hear a smile in Zhao's voice by the end. Koori started to cry and she started to hug her legs. She felt a hand on her back and coldness enveloped her body. "Why can't I see you?" Koori questioned. "I can see plenty of other spirits. Why not you, Master?"

She felt the hand on her back disappear and warmth returned to her body. She saw a light a foot away and the light started to take form. Zhao appeared before her in chains and wearing peasant clothing. Koori's tears started to vanish as she blinked them out of her eyes.

"You could not see me because I chose for you to not see me," Zhao said, kneeling down beside Koori to sit across from her. "I have missed you," he said.

Koori stared. "Master," she huffed. "Why are you in chains?"

"I have a debt to owe. This is why I am following you, dearest Koori."

He was smiling and he used his hand to touch her hair and pull it out of her face. His hand went straight through her hair and he frowned. He pulled his hand back and looked disappointed.

"I am sorry that you had to die, Master," Koori whispered. "I never wanted it to end this way. There are times when I wish that I could return to your quarters and clean until my fingers were numb. I only wish that things could have been different."

Zhao had turned his head away. "I wish for something other than this," he shouted, pulling his chains out and rattling them violently. Koori tried to shush her previous Master, but she soon knew that the guards could not hear him. "I want my old life back."

Koori nodded and leaned closer to him. She put her hand on his chest and worked it around to his back. She gave him a hug and then retreated back to her position on the floor. "Master, what debt do you owe?"

Zhao looked to the floor. "I thought that I would owe the Moon Spirit another life, but she said that my duty was to watch over you. My debt is to make sure that you are safe," he said.

Koori looked at her Master and tears again formed in her eyes. She looked up to a shadow and Zhao turned his head.

"We're back in the Fire Nation. I hope that you enjoy your stay," the guard said with a smile.

Koori watched the guard pick up his keys and turn the lock. Koori was ushered out of the prison and Zhao followed behind with his chains rattling behind him. The other guard met Koori at the exit to the prison. Once Koori stepped out, she took in a deep breath of oxygen. Heat came back to her body and her mouth curled up at the end. Both guards had hold of her hands and she looked behind herself. Zhao was still there, sulking behind her, dragging his chains. The guards stopped before the entrance of another prison. The door opened and Iroh was taken out in chains. Both individuals saw each other and Koori went white. She immediately avoided eye contact and Iroh saw Zhao behind the two male guards. He nodded and the woman dragged him away.

Koori was taken up stairs where she was greeted by moonlight. Her breathing stopped when she caught a glimpse of the Fire Nation Prince with another girl. She was hanging over him in the moonlight and Koori could hear the Prince laughing. Koori's heart shattered. Her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the ground. The guards picked her up and drug her off of the boat and onto a cart where she greeted Iroh again. The woman was the only one in the cart with Koori and Iroh. She stared at Koori sadly and then touched Koori's knee. Koori flinched and the female guard withdrew her hand.

"I am sorry for everything," the woman said. "It must be so hard for you."

Koori's head dropped. She placed her head in her hands and her foot started to shake. "There is nothing more horrible than what Koori has been put through," Iroh said in a whisper. Koori's back started to heave and Iroh could tell that she had started to cry. His chained hand started to rub her back and Koori shoved herself to the corner of the carriage. Iroh sighed and he thought about everything that had happened.

_Koori was owned by Zhao for thirteen years. She was a concubine to him. How can she possibly return to a life of slavery after just escaping it?_ Iroh thought deeper about what Zuko had done to her._ She was falling in love with him. I thought that he was as well and now my nephew will never know how much he has killed Koori's heart. I will never forgive him for what he has done to this poor girl._

The cart came to a stop and the male guards appeared again. Koori squeezed her eyes shut to clear away any tears and then they grabbed her arms and lifted her out of the cart. Iroh waved to her as the cart continued and Koori was kicked toward a garden.

She saw the lush grass and found herself kicked onto it. She felt the softness under her fingers and sighed. If only she could become the grass and sit all day. Then, her thoughts went deeper. She was the grass. She was always getting stepped on, pissed on, and chopped down. Her mind cleared while she was being hiked up.

The guards stopped and one let go of her arm. Koori stood there, miserable. The soldier knocked on the door and the knocking rocked Koori to the core. She would forever remember the cherry wood and the sound that it made when a human fist hit it.

"Is it the new girl?" a gruff voice asked.

"For the Fire Lord," the guard answered.

The door opened with a whoosh and Koori found herself being stared at by an ugly old lady. She had a pure white powdery face with a large mole colored on the left side of her cheek. Her robes smelled like she had sprayed them with perfume until they reeked and Koori found her eyes watering from the smell.

"This girl will need a complete makeover. She's sloppy. Look at her hair! Her dress! That is Earth Kingdom trash right there," the woman shouted, pointing.

The guards threw Koori at the ugly woman. "She's yours now," the guards said.

The woman shut the door behind Koori and then grabbed her wrist. She drug her down a long hallway with several doors. "You are a concubine to the great Fire Lord Ozai. Are you of pure standards?" she asked.

Koori thought about what the woman was asking. She realized that she was asking if she was a virgin and then shook her head vigorously. The woman started to peel off Koori's dress and Koori tried to cover herself and stop the woman.

"I am merely seeing if the Fire Lord will take an interest in you. He normally likes to bed virgins, but there are a few concubines who he likes to fondle when there is a low supply of such a precious thing."

Koori was frightened. Thoughts of the first time that Zhao had slept with her poured into her mind and she quivered. The woman noticed and grabbed a blanket on a hallway table for Koori to wrap herself in. The woman led her to a room and completely exposed her. Koori reached for the blanket, but the woman looked her over in the firelight. She grabbed a knife from the countertop and cut open Koori's breast binding. Koori's milky-white breasts bobbed until they got used to gravity, but Koori tried to cover as much of herself up as possible.

"You must get used to being exposed. A concubine will never have on the proper dress of a lady." Koori shivered as the woman took off Koori's underwear and smiled. Koori closed her legs together tightly, but the woman spread her legs and shoved her hand inside Koori. Koori yelped and the woman withdrew her hand. She wiped off whatever her hand came into contact with and then threw Koori another towel. "I had to make sure that you weren't pregnant," the woman said as she walked toward another counter and filled a basin of water. She washed her hands and then smiled. "I will take you to your room. The Fire Lord must see you up close before he will bed you and by the way that you look, it will take a week until we get you cleaned up enough."

The ugly woman took Koori to her room and sat her down. "We will start your training and improvements in the morning."

Koori nodded and then woman slammed the door shut. Koori felt her stomach and cringed. "She said that I wasn't pregnant…"

**Please review and tell me if you like my story so far. I enjoy constructive comments too. Tell me where you want this to go and I will compromise. Thanks. Please review!**


	3. Ai

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender...But! I do own Koori! **

_Wake up, _Koori heard during her slumber. She had tried not to fall asleep, but it had been the first time that she had slept on something so soft since Zhao had died. _Wake up, wake up, wake up!_ She kept hearing the words, but she couldn't open her eyes. She was so tired and she didn't want to move. Finally, she felt herself being hauled up and shook. Koori slowly opened her eyes and smiled at the familiar face.

"Ai?" she asked, her heart stopping.

The girl nodded. "Koori, darling, if you don't get up the Head Mistress will come in here and _make_ you get up," Ai said in a whisper. "You don't want to make that woman angry."

Koori's eyes rolled back into her head, but she moved her feet out of the bed. The sheet was still firmly planted on her body because she was wearing nothing underneath of it. Koori looked at Ai and grabbed her face. She squished her cheeks and then smiled. "How did you survive?" Koori asked.

Ai smiled and then grabbed Koori's hand. She helped Koori out of bed and then opened the door that led to the hallway. "Koori, sweetheart, a lot of us survived. I think about ten ships didn't even get to penetrate the icy wall of the Northern Water Tribe," she said with hesitation in her voice as she looked around.

_She must not tell anybody about who owned you, Koori._

"Ai," Koori looked at her friend with worry in her eyes. "Nobody must know that I was Zhao's."

Ai looked at Koori. She looked so miserable and lost that Ai couldn't help but give her a reassuring smile and a pat on the back. Ai pushed Koori down the hallway as the sheet slid behind them. "Koori, your training starts today. Please be careful and try not to anger the Head Mistress. She can make you a glorious person, or make you a common housecleaner. Listen to what she says and you will be fine. After all, you should be used to it," Ai said as she opened a door and shoved Koori into the room. Koori turned to find that Ai was no longer behind her. A chill went up her spine and she turned to face the darkened room before her.

"Hello?" Koori asked.

Koori heard a loud growl. "You are not to speak unless spoken to!" Koori was slapped across the head and she knelt down to the floor in pain. "Good, you know that you must bow to your elders." Koori didn't rise. She knew her place as a slave and remembered that she was to be asked before she could rise. "Rise," the harsh voice said. Koori did as she was told and looked to the ground out of respect. She was taught not to look above the knees of a noble or anybody of a higher status than her. "Good, good. You know your place," the woman said. She grabbed Koori's chin and thrust her face up so she could look into her eyes. "Fire Nation born?" she asked. Koori nodded vigorously and the woman let go of her face. "Did your parents teach you the excellent manners that you have?" she asked. Koori again nodded her head, lying. Koori was again slapped across the head. "I am asking you questions because I want to hear you voice. Tell me your name."

Koori held back the tears in her eyes and then nodded. "My name is Koori; I am from the southern tip of the main island, near Kai."

Koori was slapped again. "I did not ask you where you were from. You will have to go through some extensive training before you become a member of the Fire Lord's harem."

The woman started to circle Koori and another chill went up Koori's spine. When was the woman going to ask about her bending status? Koori found herself gripping at the sheet tightly until her knuckles started to turn white. The woman turned to walk to a large wooden desk as she turned the lamplight up. She sat down behind the desk and started to write vigorously. Koori stood still and the woman looked up. She looked down again and continued to scribble. The woman looked up ten minutes later and then said in her gruff voice, "I am Head Mistress Lea. I am here to train the Fire Lord's harem. You are to please the Fire Lord and any military members who request you. Of course, your first bedding will be with the Fire Lord, if he finds you suitable. You need to be bathed, have makeup applied, and learn how to make a man truly happy."

Koori's face turned pick and the Head Mistress smiled. Koori could finally see her face in the firelight and noticed the slim lines of her face, the pleasant look in her eyes, the harsh smile and cruelty that laid beneath her skin. Koori looked at what the woman was wearing. It was a gorgeous red, maroon, gold, and black kimono. The trim and obi were gold. The sleeves were maroon with a red lace around the golden trim. The kimono itself was red with maroon trim at the hemline and Koori felt a tinge of jealousy. There she was, in a grey sheet while the woman in front of her was wearing a dress fit for royalty.

The woman looked Koori up and down again and then smiled. "I think that you will be very famous within the Fire Lord's harem. You shall do well, as long as you listen to everything that I have to say to you…" Koori lost focus. She thought about the words, _you will be very famous within the Fire Lord's harem_. The few morsels of food that she had in her stomach wanted to erupt from her mouth, but she kept the feeling in. "Are you paying attention?" she heard behind her thoughts.

Koori nodded and bowed. "Of course Head Mistress, everything that you say will be cherished."

The woman smiled and walked out from behind her desk. She clasped Koori's shoulder and led her to the door. She turned the knob and led Koori outside. They walked the hallways and Koori looked through some of the open doors. Koori saw women being pampered by slaves from all civilizations. There were a few darker-skinned people that Koori could tell were members of the Water Tribes and a few lightly-skinned people with brown hair who Koori knew were Earth Kingdom civilians. There were very few slaves from the Fire Nation and Koori stopped looking once she saw a naked woman getting slinky robes put on.

The Head Mistress took her to a room and threw her inside. Ai was in this room and saw Koori. She ran over to her friend and took her hand. The door was still opened and the Head Mistress peered inside. "This girl is to be thoroughly cleaned with makeup on by the time I return," she said. "I will hear no excuses as to why she is not presentable by the time I am ready for her."

The door closed and the women in the room looked over at Koori. She knew that most of them were common slaves, probably only there to attend to the bathing and grooming of the Fire Lord's harem. Koori looked at Ai and noticed that she did not help the people tear off the sheet that Koori wore. The girls threw her into a tub of warm water and started to scrub her with pumice. The old volcanic rock started to dig into Koori's legs and rub off old dead skin cells. She cringed at first and then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It only hurts the first few times. It exfoliates the skin and will make you feel better. Just let the women do their work," Ai whispered. Koori nodded and looked down at the women who were scrubbing her. Most of the women were from the Earth Kingdom and looked miserable. Koori tried to smile at them, but they looked away, fearful that they had been caught staring at her.

The slaves pulled her out of the comforting water and started to dry her off, but Koori started to grab the towel away from them. She succeeded and finished drying herself off without using her bending. Koori handed the towel back to them and she was exposed to the slaves, completely nude. She started to blush widely and soon a silk robe was draped on her shoulders. Koori wrapped it around herself and tied the golden silk thread around her waist. The women stared to dip her head into a basin and run a brush through her hair. Water traveled around her ears and Koori felt calmer. She felt the women wash her hair and condition it while other women started to smooth her legs with another pumice rock. Koori's legs had always been smooth. She had used her firebending to exfoliate and de-hair her legs. The women scrubbed her and then left her legs to apply makeup. Koori's hair was being dried by more towels and another comb went through her hair to style it.

They moved her head up, down, left, right, and then finally pinned a flower onto her silky black hair. They finished her makeup shortly after her hair and held a mirror up to her face. Koori took in her image. She couldn't recognize herself and touched her powdery-white face. She heard Ai laugh in the background and turned around. She saw the brilliant Fire Panda Lilly in her hair and smiled. Flowers were always so pretty and innocent. Koori opened her mouth and then closed it.

"Speak, Koori, you are among friends," Ai said.

Koori hesitated. "I would like to know where this gorgeous flower came from."

A servant girl smiled and wrung her hands together. "It came from the Royal Garden. All of the Fire Lord's harem are permitted into the Royal Garden for flower tending."

Koori grasped the red and pink petals and then let her hand fall to her side as the door opened to reveal the Head Mistress.

"Madam," Ai said, speaking softly. "Your newest girl is ready."

The Head Mistress pulled out a fan and started to wave her wrist delicately. "I have a very specific rule, _peasant_," the Head Mistress said, directing her attention at Ai. "What would that rule be?" she asked.

Ai looked at the ground. The gaze that the Head Mistress gave off behind the fan was unpleasant. Koori looked between the Head Mistress and her friend. Ai opened her mouth, but closed it. She thought better of it and knew that the Head Mistress would want an answer. "Do not talk, unless talked to first, fairest Head Mistress," Ai answered.

Koori looked away as the Head Mistress grabbed Ai's hair and threw her across the room. "Even the new member of the harem knows her place! You should know yours by now! You had your chance, you ruined it! Foul girl!"

Ai kneeled and put her head on the floor. "I meant no disrespect, Head Mistress," Ai said, her voice barely audible since her face was so close to the floor.

The Head Mistress looked past Ai and then waved her fan at Koori in a 'come here' fashion. Koori stood immediately and stood three paces away from the Head Mistress.

"Such wonderful manners," the Head Mistress said. "You know to stand the proper distance away from your superiors!"

Koori nodded and the Head Mistress opened the door. Koori followed her, but looked back at Ai who was looking at Koori desperately. The look of pain was on her face and Koori wanted to help her friend but knew that she was to follow the Head Mistress and begin her training as a member of the Fire Lord's infamous harem.

**Please, I want to see where you want this to go, should she sleep with the Fire Lord, or not?**


	4. Flowers and Passages

**Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. You have no idea how much I really appreciate your opinions. I have decided to spice up this chapter which is why it is a little longer than normal. I hope that you like it and enjoy reading how Koori is to become a fully fledged member of the Fire Lord's harem.**

**Thanks again, and I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

Koori followed the Head Mistress to a large room filled with one man and a large table. The table had a brilliant golden-trimmed red sash on it as well as tea and a steaming meal. Koori looked at the food with such hunger that she had to hold back all of the turmoil in her stomach to prevent her body from pouncing on the delicious sustenance.

"You must be famished. It has been a long trip since the pitiful Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se," the Head Mistress said with a hidden smile on her face. The Head Mistress walked over and delicately sat down. "You must follow my actions," the woman said while she looked up and ushered Koori to sit down next to her.

Koori looked at the silk cushion and copied the Mistress's footsteps. She sat down with a fluid motion that the Head Mistress had performed and the woman smiled. The Head Mistress grabbed a nearby teapot and pulled her sleeve back to prevent splashes from soiling her silk robes. She poured herself tea and then looked at the teapot next to Koori. The man across the table watched Koori with a deep intensity. Koori copied the Mistress and pulled her sleeve back. She hesitated and looked at the man's empty teacup. Koori knew that the man was always supposed to come first and kneeled to reach the man's teacup. She poured delicately and then returned to her own cup. She poured her own tea and set the pot down.

"Wonderful! Truly a genius!" the man shouted.

"Kin, you must learn to control yourself," the Head Mistress said with a smile as she sipped her tea with her pinky in the air. She patted Koori on the back. "She seems to have come from a noble family in Ba Sing Se, which is why Princess Azula found her at the palace."

Koori stopped breathing. The Princess lied, Koori thought. Why did that evil bitch lie? Koori looked down to the left and deeply thought while the Head Mistress started to break her chopsticks. Koori looked up at the Head Mistress's chin and then reached for her own pair of delicate black sticks. She pulled them apart and waited for the man to eat first.

The Head Mistress had the largest smile plastered on her face and Koori feared that her face would crack apart because there was so much pressure. Kin, the Mistress's guest dived into the food without noticing anything. He was chewing a piece of succulent spare rib before he noticed the Head Mistress's smile.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked. "You never smile this much. It's scaring me. Stoppit!"

Koori thought that this man was very childish, or that the man and the Mistress had a very good relationship. The Mistress then pushed her chopsticks to the ribs and pulled herself a serving. Koori watched so hard that her mouth could taste the sweet juices that were present on the man's face. The smell wafted over to Koori's nostrils and she grabbed a couple of ribs. They ate heartily and Koori immediately fell in love with the taste of ribs. She had only had these once before in her life and she wanted to keep chewing on the succulent pieces that flooded her mouth.

The meal was soon over and Koori regained her sense of self control. She poured the man and the Head Mistress a new cup of tea and sat down quietly. She knew that she was to wait until the conversation started.

"I cannot believe the type of manners that this girl has," Kin, the man, said while he picked his teeth with his chopstick.

The Head Mistress looked delighted. "Training her will be so much easier now! I will still make her wait a week until the Fire Lord has the chance to see her and bed her." Koori turned a different color. She was a slave again, as she was used to being, but they were talking about her having sex with the Fire Lord. That was something that she didn't want discussed, or talk about in any way, shape, or form.

They continued to talk and Koori stared to doze off and it wasn't until she was slapped on the back of the head that she recovered from her stupor. "I believe that this girl is still tired from the long trek that she had to take to get here. It must have been awful to sleep on straw!" the man said, "Simply awful!"

The Head Mistress stood and Koori bowed slightly before completely standing toward the man. She turned on her heel to walk behind the Head Mistress. "Come, Koori. We have much to do before you are to return to your quarters," she said in a harsh voice.

She knocked on the door and servants on the other side opened it for her. Both individuals left the room and Koori was once again paraded down the hallway filled with concubines still preparing for their midnight adventures. She saw more naked women than she had ever seen before and Koori's face was so red that she looked like a large fireflake. The Head Mistress showed her to a large set of double doors and stopped abruptly. Koori managed to catch herself before running into the Head Mistress's back and regained her slavery-designated distance. The Mistress looked around and smiled. None of the other concubines were paying Koori any attention because they were taught to worry about nobody other than themselves.

"As a concubine in the Fire Lord's harem, you are to perform specific duties other than pleasuring the Fire Lord and his constituents. Such duties include…," she said, glaring around at the concubines that had turned their attention to the 'new girl', "…preparing the bouquets for the palace, dancing at royal parties, and entertaining as well as pleasuring the nobles." Koori nodded and the Head Mistress placed her perfectly manicured hand onto the solid cherry door. "Behind this door lies a pathway to the Royal Garden. It is where the harem is to pick flowers for the Fire Lord's enjoyment. Every vase is looked over by the Fire Lord and approved by him. We will go out into the garden so I can show you around."

The door opened and Koori walked outside with the Head Mistress. Outside of the palace just as beautiful as the inside as they gazed at the colorful tiger and panda lilies. More flowers that she had never heard of surrounded the palace walls and the pathway that lead to a large fountain. Suddenly, Koori thought, things started to look familiar and Koori shuddered when she thought of her childhood around the Fire Nation's royal children. The Head Mistress stopped at the edge of the patio which had the fountain on it because there was a figure sitting calmly on a bench with their back facing them.

"The Prince," the Head Mistress muttered with a tinge of distain in her voice. Something about the Head Mistress voice made Koori think that this woman did not like the Fire Nation Prince. Koori suddenly felt the attitude of the Head Mistress change. "Ahh, young Prince Zuko! How I have not laid eyes upon your royal brow in so long!" the Head Mistress chanted with a fake smile.

Prince Zuko turned his head and gave a weak smile. He had not seen Koori hiding behind the Head Mistress and he then returned his attention to the fountain. "It has been a long while Head Mistress Lea," Zuko said with another weak smile. Koori peered behind the Head Mistress and felt her heart drop again. She wanted to leave this place immediately but the Head Mistress was not perturbed about the prince's presents and was going to continue the lesson. Koori waited impatiently behind the woman.

"Well, I can see that you are not so young now, Prince Zuko," the Head Mistress said with another fake smile. The prince nodded and the Head Mistress walked behind the prince and to the other side. "Your sister has presented a gift to your father, and I will be teaching her a lesson on how to prepare flower arrangements. Please do not let us bother you with our chatter," the Head Mistress said.

Zuko turned his head. He knew that Koori had been brought along as a present to his father. He looked at Koori and then pain erupted into his eyes and he turned away. Koori bit her bottom lip but returned her attention to the Head Mistress.

The Head Mistress walked toward the flowers that had started to bloom because it was nearing nighttime. "Koori, at this time, I will allow you to talk freely. The more questions that you ask, the better understanding that you will have of beautiful art of flower decorating."

Koori saw Zuko move at the corner of her eye. She saw him stand and then sit on the opposite side of the fountain, where he could watch the lesson. The hair on the back of Koori's neck started to stand, but Koori merely nodded at her instructor.

The Head Mistress touched the tip of a purple flower. "This is a midnight mona. It blooms at night and radiates a strong smell similar to a lily. It is often used for perfumes which are commonly used by the harem because of their alluring scent." She walked around and then glanced at a red flower which had started to close. Koori could still see the orange stamen and could smell the nectar. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of the flower. "Ahh," the Head Mistress said with a real smile. "I see that you enjoy the scent of the red maneater." She placed her finger on one of the petals and suddenly, the flower closed up. Koori looked at the little flower in fear. She had never seen anything so beautiful seem so alive. She knew of flowers that would eat insects, but she thought that most of them were ugly and were located in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. "This particular flower was a gift from an Earth Kingdom town to a Fire Nation general. It is a very rare plant that has lived in this garden for more than one hundred years."

Koori nodded, expecting a lesson on the plant, but none was given. This was obviously not a flower to pick for a decoration. Koori looked around as the Head Mistress was explaining things and then suddenly, she felt the eyes of somebody on her body. Koori turned around quickly and the Head Mistress jumped in front of her.

"Fire Lord Ozai!" the Head Mistress shouted. Koori tried to see past her mentor but found it hard.

"Hello, Mistress Lea," came the Fire Lord's callous reply. He said nothing, but Koori could feel the tension in the air.

"Your Gloriousness, I am here with your newest concubine. I am teaching her the art of flower arranging. She has a very good set of manners and a very good eye," the Head Mistress said.

"That is nice. Am I able to place my eyes on this pristine subject?" the Fire Lord asked lazily.

"You know that rules, gracious Fire Lord," the Head Mistress said with a smile.

The Fire Lord gave a low chuckle that frightened Koori. "Ahh, if only I could change such rules to do as I will. That is what happens when our foolish ancestors decided to rule religiously rather than with brute force."

Koori was listening intently. She had never heard this type of information before. What did this mean? She thought about everything that she had been taught. Who were the religious sect of the Fire Nation? The answer was right on the tip of her tongue and then she looked to the bottom of the Head Mistress's robe. The Fire Sages! Koori thought. She looked back up to find the Head Mistress in a fit of laughter because the Fire Lord was flirting with her. She turned around and caught a glimpse of Zuko leaving the garden. Koori returned to her thoughts. What happened to the balance of my nation?

!

Koori sat in her room shortly after they left the garden. The Head Mistress had said that tomorrow would be a training session involving various elements of flexibility. Koori shuddered. She knew what the Head Mistress was talking about and it bothered her. She stared at a candle which had been lit for her use. She was allowed to spend her time however she pleased but she was not allowed to leave the harem's chambers until after the Fire Lord had bedded her. She stood from her bed and walked around the room two times and ended up in front of the candle. Her room was only six by ten and it took her less than thirty seconds to pace around it a couple of times. She took the candle in her hand and put her fingers above the flame. She concentrated and the flames rose higher.

"I wonder why they have done nothing about my bending ability. They didn't even ask," Koori said aloud to herself. "I am a prisoner, correct?"

She placed the candle into its holder and blew the candle out. She exited the room and shut the door quietly behind her. She wanted conversation and she wanted Ai. She looked around and found a dark-haired woman in a long silk robe that have flames embroidered onto the bottom hem. "Excuse me," Koori said with a faint voice.

The woman looked at her and gave a fake smile. "You must be the new girl that the Head Mistress speaks so highly of," she said.

Koori nodded. "I was wondering if you knew where Ai was?"

The girl laughed haughtily. "That little tramp! I have not seen her since the Head Mistress denounced her ability to be in the harem."

Koori was stunned. "Okay, thank you for your assistance," Koori said with a bow and a smile.

The girl waved her hand and Koori left feeling confused. She now REALLY wanted to see Ai. She wandered the hallways meekly, fidgeting her way past open doors with half-naked women in them. She came across the last room and looked inside. There were futons everywhere and some were piled as bunk beds. Koori assumed that there were at least twenty beds, if not more in this dainty room that was only a little bit bigger than her own. She looked in and found fully dressed women bickering and then she saw Ai.

She entered the room and dozens of women flocked around her feet, blocking her way to her friend who was leaving the room down a dark pathway.

"Can we get you anything?" they chanted at once.

Koori shook her head and gave a gracious bow. "I am looking for my friend, Ai," Koori said.

"Ohh, she left just moments ago. You could catch her down that hallway if you run," one girl in a pink dress answered.

"Thank you," Koori said, curtsying. She went in the direction that the girl pointed to and found herself traveling down a dimly lit hallway. She stopped when she heard noises.

"But Zuko," said a shrill voice, "I want to get away from this awful palace."

Koori looked toward where the noise was coming from and peeped through a hole in the wall. She saw Zuko and the girl who she had seen earlier kissing the prince of the Fire Nation on the ship. She was staring into the prince's bedroom and Koori removed her face from against the wall. This is a secret passageway! Koori thought. I wonder where else it leads!

Koori left Zuko and the girl dressed in an assortment of dark colored clothing. She continued down the hall and came to a fork. She decided to go left and heard funny sounds. Koori's face started to turn white as she heard the noises more clearly. They were grunting sounds and Koori saw the peephole to the room. She looked in just to make sure that it wasn't somebody in trouble and saw two people in very awkward positions, grinding into each other like it was a game. Koori immediately withdrew her face but found it hard to walk away. Perhaps if she stayed and watched, she could learn something. She put her head back to the wall and watched with a curiosity that confounded even her own mind.

She couldn't make out their faces in the dark, but she could see their glistening tongues searching each other's mouths violently. They rolled around in the sheets, ripping them off and out of their way. The man flipped the woman around and started to enter her while facing the woman's butt. He knelt onto the soft charcoal colored bedspread and Koori could hear the slapping of the juices and the frequent moans of the couple. Koori watched more intently as the woman climaxed. The man flipped the woman over again and withdrew his still hardened manhood. The woman smiled and put the man below her, gazing down at his sweaty body. She took his mouth with her own and gave him a deep kiss. She let him go and ran her tongue down his chest and toward his arousal. She took him in her mouth and Koori watched her head bob. The man moaned and soon Koori knew that the man had climaxed as well. Even though both had met their moment of bliss, they did not stop. Koori watched them kneel toward each other and then get into another awkward position. Koori withdrew her face at this point, becoming disgusted with not only herself, but the lovesick couple behind the wall.

She walked down the hallway until she head a familiar voice. "I am sorry, but I cannot help you this time," Ai's voice said in a whisper that carried down the hallway. Koori looked around the corner secretly and saw the Fire Lord standing at an open door in the middle of the secret tunnel.

**Hmm. I wonder what they were talking about? Perhaps you should guess! If you guess right, you get a virtual cookie! I promise!**

**Please review, and don't forget to guess!**

**Thanks readers.**


	5. Li and Lo

**Sorry. I just became a freshman in college. I have been busy writing papers and getting to know my profs. It's been fun! You're in for a treat for the next few chapters. Promise.**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender**

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><p>Koori stared at his glistening robes. They were obviously made of a fine silk, but why was Ai talking to him. "I understand," the Fire Lord said calmly. "I will greet you again tomorrow evening. Same time?" he asked, looking into the dark hallway, knowing that somebody was watching.<p>

"Of course, gracious Fire Lord; at your request," Ai said with a low bow.

The door closed instantly and Ai turned to face the dim hallway. Koori came out of her hiding spot and frightened her friend. Ai did not scream, however. "Koori, you frightened me. What were you doing here?" she asked, getting nervous and ushering the newest concubine out of the vicinity.

"I came looking for you," Koori said meekly. Ai's hand was placed carefully on the curve of Koori's back as they walked the dim hallway toward the room filled with other women. They passed the two lovers and the squabbles which echoed out of Zuko's room quickly. Ai stepped into the room with her friends and smiled. Her hand immediately receded from Koori's back and they walked to Koori's room with the same haste as before.

Ai opened the door for Koori and both girls entered the small space reserved for the newest concubine. "What did you want?" Ai asked while she sat on the floor in the middle of the room. Koori walked over to the candle at the far end of the room so she could see her friend more clearly. She lit it using the spark rock which was provided for her.

"Ai, what happened?" Koori asked with a tinge of compassion as she kneeled down to her friend and cupped her hands.

Ai smacked Koori's hand away and glared. "What happened when?" she asked, harshness filling the sound of her voice.

Koori stepped back from her friend. She thought about the last time that she had seen Ai and memories flooded her brain. Ai was happy with her master. As she had said, he provided her with a shelter and a sense of belonging. Ai knew that she would get food and a proper place to stay as long as she did what she was told.

"What happened after the siege of the Northern Water Tribe?"

Ai looked frustrated and confused. "You were there. The same thing happened to you, did it not?"

Koori sat on her bed and straightened out the gray sheets that cloaked her pillow. "No. I went into the heart of the Water Tribe. I do not know what happened with the remainder of the ships that did not get destroyed by the rage of the Ocean Spirit."

Ai faced the candle and stared at the flame. She stood and went to the bed to sit beside Koori. "Most of the ships were destroyed. I have not seen Naomi or Leiko since the invasion and I can only assume that their ships were destroyed and that they are dead, along with many others. My master was murdered when we returned here. The Fire Lord declared that every able body should have fought until death at the North Pole and because of their cowardly actions, they were put to death as traitors." Ai fumbled with the gray sheets that she was sitting on. "The women that returned were given to the Head Mistress at first. She judged us automatically. Most concubines became slaves to Princess Azula. Most of them are dead now because she has a low tolerance for insubordination. Others, who were lucky, like I once was, remained a concubine and lived a life of luxury. But," Ai closed her eyes and put her head in her hands, "women do not last long here. Unless you are favored by somebody, you are passed along often and die because one of the men got out of hand."

Koori took all of this in. She had stopped breathing without noticing and closed her eyes to regain control of her breath. "Ai," she began.

"There is more," AI said. Her voice had started to shake and she kept her head in her hands. "While I was being trained as a royal concubine, I ran into a slave who was quite handsome. I fell in love with him quickly and he proposed that we escape the palace and run away to get married." Ai started to cry and Koori rested her hand on her friend's back. "They set him on fire in his sleep the very night that he proposed our escape."

Koori's heart jumped. She had never truly been in love. What she thought that she had had been a lie. "Who murdered him?" Koori asked. "Who are _they_?"

Ai looked at Koori. Her eyes had lost the sparkle that they often had and her face was smothered with tears. "They…" Ai looked around, holding in her breath. "They are the people who see and hear everything. They live in the walls in secret passageways and tunnels, much the one that we were just in. They listen to everything and maintain balance in the palace. You cannot even breathe without them knowing."

Koori looked at the walls. "Then perhaps we should not talk about them?"

Ai laughed. "This room is one of the safest places to talk. As a new royal concubine, no male being should see you until the Fire Lord does, except those that are here to train you. They are not in this room or the couple next to us because of that tradition." Ai stood and walked to the door. She was rubbing her face with the sleeve of the peasant dress she was in. "I am done talking tonight. It hurts too much. Good night."

The door was shut with a light _click_ and Koori laid on her bed to think about what she just heard. Zuko had seen her…

-!-

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Koori heard through her door. She opened her eyes and rubbed them to get used to the lack of light her room had. The candle was still burning from the side and she turned to it to get dressed. She looked around for an extra outfit, but could find none. Opening her door, she saw girls crowding around her and grabbing her roughly. They started to tear off her clothes and Koori was thrown into a tub of steaming water, naked. The women started to scrub her down and she could feel her skin crying for attention under the rough loofa and sponges. Her hair was washed while other women started to paint her fingernails. Koori at first struggled under all of what was happening, but soon lost who was doing what. Her body was crooked awkwardly over the stone tub as all of this was going on and Koori did all that she could to resist screaming bloody murder. Finally, they were done and they released her to soak in the highly perfumed water. She placed her back on the side of the tub and let her body float. She had never experienced the luxury of a pleasant soaking and figured that it was about time she got used to this kind of life.

The slaves left the small room and Koori relaxed. She grabbed for some bubbles which outlined her body and started to blow on them.

"Getting used to this life?" came a familiar voice.

"I would rather be without this life, Master," came the concubine's callous reply. "In fact, I was thinking of my family. Kuro, Yumi, even little Mizu. I was wondering what happened to them."

Zhao appeared before her. He was sitting on the rim of the tub, his feet dangling in the bath water below him. He smiled at the naked girl in front of him and then rustled his chains around. "Where do you think I have been?" he asked. "I figured that you would want to know about your pesky little brother, so I decided to travel to the Earth Kingdom and see what he was up to." Koori looked up at her Master, unaware of her nudity since he had seen her naked many times.

"How is he? Did he escape? Is the city in ruin? Is little Mizu doing well?" Koori had plenty of questions and Zhao raised his silvery hand to shush her.

"Your brother escaped shortly after you were captured. He is with his wife and the infant. They are headed south in search of refuge, but they will find none," Zhao said, smiling cruelly at his statement.

"Obviously your death did nothing for your views toward this war, Master," Koori said, pushing the bubbles around the water like a child.

"My death changed nothing. I still believe that the Fire Nation is superior. Nothing will ever make me change my mind."

Koori gave Zhao a pouty look. "Perhaps if you weren't so narrow-minded, you wouldn't have been cursed with chains."

Zhao glared at the girl. He stepped into the tub and waded next to his concubine. "For all that I have done for you so far, you would think that you wouldn't say such things," he commented, grabbing her arm just below the shoulder and squeezing it tightly. Koori hissed and felt her arm being singed. Zhao's hand was removed and she saw the mark of the Ocean Spirit. "Imagine what would have happened to you had the Royal Head Mistress saw that little tattoo. Zhao the grasped her back and Koori moved away from him.

"I get it, Master," Koori said, short of breath. She grasped her arm. It had started to sizzle and she felt the pain go away. She looked to the perfumed water and shook her head. "I was wondering what happened to them."

Zhao's glare became an evil sneer that she had seen so many times. "Of course you did, because you are mine, and mine alone, correct?"

Koori looked up at her Master. The door to the room opened and Ai came through it. "Are you ready to get out and start the day?" her friend asked cheerfully. Ai grabbed a towel and threw it to the side of the tub.

Koori stared into Zhao's eyes. "Yes," she said.

-!-

The Head Mistress was present while Koori's makeup was being finished. "We have much to do today, do you think you girls can hurry up?" she asked, looking at her waving fan.

"Yes, Head Mistress," came a soft reply.

Koori was finished shortly after they applied the crimson lipstick. She was drug down a hallway and pushed into a room. The Head Mistress shortly followed her into the room and haughtily sat down on a chair near the door. Koori remained standing. She felt the presence of another body through her firebending and looked carefully. She heard scratches and then a candle was lit. The woman laid down the spark rocks she had used and looked at the concubine.

"This is her?" she asked. Koori got a close look at the woman, but her vision shifted, suddenly, there were two women standing before her. They separated and sat down on chairs ten feet away from Koori. "Welcome to the Fire Nation, we are Lo and Li," they said.

Koori bowed. When she returned to her standing position, the older women were standing and scrutinizing her face. One grabbed her arm, the other grabbed her hair.

"She was found in the Earth Kingdom," the Head Mistress said with a smile. "She must have been the daughter of a noble because she has excellent manners and she was found in the palace."

The twins continued to look Koori over. They never grabbed for anything inappropriate. Their cold hands were signs that they were not benders. Koori's skin crawled as they both finished at the same time and sat down in the chairs. "We find you suitable," they both said. They both looked at each other and then nodded. The Head Mistress stood from the chair she was in and walked over behind Koori.

"I will leave you in the care of Lady Lo and Lady Li, they are to teach you something special," she said. Koori gulped and the Head Mistress turned to leave. She opened the door and it shut with a small click. Koori stared at the older women who were smiling up at her, their eyes closed.

"We know who you are. We know all about you," they said.

* * *

><p><strong>Ohs no! What does this mean?<strong>


	6. Prophesy

**Enjoy. I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

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><p>Koori stared at the two ladies and held her breath. They stood and while one went to lock the door, the other knocked on the walls and put her ear to it. Both women gave a small nod and then returned to their chairs. "Koori, darling, please sit down," one said.<p>

Koori looked around herself and sat on the floor. Her butt rested on her heels and her hands were placed delicately on her lap. She stared at the two women who were smiling greedily upon her. "We know all about you," the other whispered.

Koori's face held many questions, but she did not want to disrespect these women or accidentally inform them of something that they proclaimed to know all about. Their smiles became frowns. "Perhaps she has never heard of us?" asked one.

"We thought that Zhao would have mentioned something about us."

Koori's head rose at the sound of her previous Master's name. "Excuse me," Koori whispered. Both ladies turned their attention to the girl, "I don't mean to be rude, but what do you know about me?"

Their smiles returned and they stood from their chairs to sit on the floor in front of Koori. "There is a prophesy about you, my dear." One of them reached out to touch Koori's face but the concubine winced at the touch and pulled out of their reach. "You are the one the Fire Lord fears besides the Avatar."

Koori held her breath and looked down at her hands. "You are the healer," they said, frowning.

"What are you talking about?" Koori asked. Her mindset was to play dumb and get all of the information about of these women that she could. She was curious; how did they know about her ability, who she belonged to, or who she was?

The older women rolled their eyes. "Please stop your charade. The reason why you are here is because of us." They gave her time in order to digest this information. "We were the ones who made the prophesy. We are the ones who told Zhao to keep you alive, despite the Fire Lord's direct orders."

Koori's eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. "But," Koori thought about her words, but decided against saying too much, "why?"

The women laughed, rather harshly, and Koori once again winced. "We have seen the Fire Lord and the Princess's mental state decline. We knew that this would happen because this war has been harsh on all of us and we determined long ago that it needed to end before those," they searched for the right word, "monsters destroyed everything."

Li and Lo both looked concerned. Koori could see behind their happy demeanor saw that they were tired. Their eyes had suddenly sunk in and their wrinkles lined their faces ferociously. "We prayed for the spirits to create a being that could help us. They granted our wish and showed us a vision of a baby girl, born of water and fire."

Koori thought about her mother, a waterbender, and her father, a firebending soldier. "Born of fire and water?" she asked.

The women nodded. "Zhao brought you here on our orders when you were a child. We saw you play with the Prince and Princess and knew what you would become."

"Zhao was…" Koori lost her train of thought. A pawn, she said to herself.

_Exactly. I was always trying to protect you, and you did all that you could to resist me._

Koori returned her attention to the old ladies in front of her. "We have done much to keep you alive, but now it is your turn to do something for us," the ladies said. One stood and started to slowly walk to the door. The other grasped Koori's shoulder and forced her to stand. Koori stood and was walked to the door. "You must help the Prince discover who he needs to become."

Koori was pushed out of the door and she stared at the mahogany as it shut tightly behind her. The Head Mistress was strolling towards Koori and smiled at her. "Was your visit educational?" the woman asked.

Koori nodded. "Yes, Head Mistress."

-!-

Koori was in the midst of her "flexibility" session when there was a knock on the door. She was bending backwards with her hands positioned behind her head. The Head Mistress eagerly walked over to the door and opened it. She closed it behind herself and Koori hastily took herself out of the uncomfortable position. She walked silently over to the door and pressed her ear against the wood. She heard murmurs about other concubines and she turned her head. She returned to the middle of the room to sit on the ground. She stared at the door and it opened, revealing the Head Mistress.

She looked at Koori with pity in her eyes. "Koori, I have great news to tell you," the Head Mistress shouted, bringing her hands in front of herself and wringing them greedily. "The Fire Lord has determined that he needs company tonight. He has ordered for your companionship." Koori stared, dumbfounded at first. Her stomach started to churn and she stood. The Head Mistress grabbed her arm and led her out of the room. "We need to get you another bath, more makeup, and…" Koori was no longer listening to the woman. Her mind started to drift back to Zhao who was walking behind her, dragging his chains.

-!-

Zuko walked the hallways, admiring the artwork. He heard whispers from the servants and blocked their voices. He could order for them to be silent, but they seemed to be in a deep conversation, and he felt like being nice today. He stared at a family picture and admired his mother's pleasant smile.

"Oh yes…that new one…what's her name?" said a slave.

"Koori," came a reply. "Her name is Koori. She is supposed to be a well-mannered slave, very pretty too."

Zuko turned his head to listen as he pretended to look at a picture of Sozin. "Her consummation date has been moved up. The Fire Lord is very anxious because he keeps hearing good news about her."

Zuko felt his stomach growl and grabbed for it. He felt sick as he leaned against the wall for support. He could not hear any more. He turned and sulked out of the hallway and into his room.

He entered his chambers and felt a chill enter his muscles. He shivered uncontrollably and then tried to heat himself up, but it wouldn't work. He sat on a sofa in his room and picked up a scroll. He started to read, but his eyes could not comprehend the symbols. He frowned and then covered his face with his pillow. He laid down and removed the pillow. He held it to his stomach and stared at the ceiling. The intricate artwork that was on his ceiling depicted a favorite story of his. It was one that his mother told him repeatedly. The Blue Dragon and the Red Dragon were always fighting for the beautiful princess, but only one would be victorious. He had heard the story many times, but he could not remember the outcome.

-!-

Koori stared at the walls of the bath. "Master?" she asked. There was no reply and she dipped her chin into the water and started to blow bubbles. She heard chains rattling and then brought her face out of the water which had washed her old makeup off. "Master?" she asked again.

"Yes, Koori?" came a solemn reply.

"Master, you have heard then?"

"Yes."

Koori wanted to see him. "I do not want you around me after my makeup is put on," Koori said, looking in the vicinity where she thought her previous master was.

"I was not planning on following you after this point. It would sicken me too much." He appeared before her, dangling his legs in the bathwater. This seemed to be his favorite position while Koori was bathing. He gave her a reassuring smile. She breathed out deeply and looked away. "You will be fine," he whispered as he edged closer to her and patted her shoulder.

Koori stared at the door as it opened and sighed again. The servants dragged her out of the water, covered her with a robe and started to apply her makeup. When they finished, Kathryn was dressed with the most elegant undergarments she had ever seen. They were lacy and see-through. She was then put into a crimson kimono that was simple, but not too simple. The collar was white, which Koori found odd. They put her hair in an up-do which was held in place by a clip that looked like a flame.

The Head Mistress entered the room and smiled at her creation. "You look splendid," she said. Koori smiled politely and looked into the mirror to admire the concubine that she had become. She frowned at the foreigner which was her reflection and then turned to the Head Mistress. "There are rules that you must follow, of course," the Head Mistress said with a cruel smile. "You must leave once the Fire Lord goes to sleep. If he wakes and still wants you company, he must call on you again. It is a security issue to have a common peasant sleep alongside the Fire Lord, especially a foreigner." Koori nodded. "Then, there is nothing more that I have to teach you, you must figure everything else out on your own."

The Head Mistress took Koori out of the Concubine Quarters and led her down the hallway. Koori saw the Prince standing down the hall, looking at her. She turned away, ashamed, and he did the same. The Head Mistress approached the large doors of the Fire Lord's chambers and opened them. The concubine followed the woman inside the apartments and she was left there, sitting calmly on the bench in front of the bed.

She stared at the door, hoping that she would never see the knob turn. She stared for what seemed like an eternity and she turned her head to look at the walls. She could see the outline of a door which would lead to tunnels within the walls and she exhaled. The door opened and Koori stared at the Fire Lord. He smiled. "Welcome to the Fire Nation," he said.

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><p><strong>Oh no! Whatever shall happen? XP<strong>


	7. The Fire Lord's Concubine

**I decided to write this chapter in first person because I thought that it would turn out better (plus, it was easier to write for some strange reason). Tell me if you like the POV change.**

**Happy reading! Please review!**

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><p>When I woke up, I could smell it; it was the sickeningly sweet smell of sex. I crinkled my nose and opened my eyes to stare at the drab ceiling and think about what had just transpired. He called for me to return to his bed three times in the night; what did I just do? Tears decided to prickle my eyes and I closed them and let the tears go. I clutched my blanket and rubbed my eyes, but I knew that my makeup would let the Head Mistress know that I was crying; the blotches would surely give me away.<p>

I lifted my legs off of the mattress and slid them over to the side of the bed; my feet hit the floor and I heard a strange sizzle. I was firebending? When I looked down, I saw that my feet were unusually red, but they were cooling down. I rolled my eyes, but the pictures of the Fire Lord's naked body plagued my thoughts. I shuddered.

"Pleasant evening?" Zhao asked. I looked up and glared at him, but quickly turned away once I thought about how hurt he must have felt when I left my room three more times during the night.

While my feet cooled down, I laid the top half of my body down on the bed. I covered my eyes with my hands and watched my memories flash before me.

"_Welcome to the Fire Nation," he said with a hint of lust in his voice. He gave a crude smile and walked toward me. I was looking at his torso; I wanted to be as respectful as possible. As I watched the gold on his robes glitter, he walked to another room. I waited; should I follow him or continue to sit here?_

_The respectful answer was to wait, but my heart rate had skyrocketed and I wasn't thinking clearly; oh, how I wanted this to be over. I stood from the bed and the lingerie that covered my frame shifted and folded under my new position. The silk fabric felt nice and cool against my skin, but I feared that my firebending would burn the poor clothes off. I was so nervous and I stumbled over my feet as I scampered to the doorway. That's when he returned, wearing nothing but leggings. I tripped, but he caught me before I hit the floor. He was over me, clutching my shoulder blade with his left hand and side with his right hand. The position reminded me of a picture of somebody dancing. His beard tickled my skin, but I couldn't laugh or giggle; I was petrified._

_He smiled at me, but my gaze was filled with horror. "What is your name?" he asked._

_My name? What was my name? I couldn't remember and we were in such an awkward position that I could barely breathe. He released my side and I tried to remain stiff as he reached under my knee and pulled me up. I attempted to compel my arms to grasp the back of his neck, but they wouldn't move. Suddenly, once my skin hit the soft silk of his covers, I remembered my name. He sat down beside me._

"_My name is Koori," I whispered. He nodded and smiled again. He cupped my chin and tilted my head up. I was looking at the large Fire Nation insignia on the side of the wall._

_He clicked his tongue. I looked at him for a second because he had made such a strange and unusual noise that I caught his eyes. The golden orbs looked so peaceful for somebody so evil. His soft hands caressed my face and he leaned in. He kissed me and then drew away. I thought about the kiss; it wasn't a peck, and it definitely wasn't a true kiss. It was almost like it was a taste…_

"_There is no reason to be afraid," he said. "I am not that dreadful." He smiled again and for some reason, I felt more comfortable. He leaned his back against the headboard and pulled his feet up onto the bed beside me. His muscles flexed appropriately as he made himself comfortable. "So," he said once he put his hands behind his head, "tell me about yourself."_

_I pursed my lips. Anything that I told him would be a lie; I couldn't tell him that I was the concubine of Admiral Zhao or that I spent the last couple of weeks living in the Northern Water Tribe and Ba Sing Se. I definitely couldn't mention my abilities. I didn't want to die this early in my life. I closed my eyes and imagined a fake girl with a happier life in Ba Sing Se._

"_I was born in the upper ranks of Ba Sing Se to a wealthy merchant," I said slowly. I thought about their names. I could keep my parents' names, right? No, their names would give away their Fire Nation and Water Tribe origins. I skipped their names completely and gave a half-smile. "I was living my life as a maid to the Earth King."_

_He seemed intrigued. "Did you ever overhear anything while in the Earth King's apartments?"_

_I looked at him, puzzled at first. I was trying to establish what he was getting at. Did he really expect me to reveal the Earth Kingdoms' secrets? I thought about a good lie in my head and smiled so big in my brain that I thought I was actually going to smile by accident._

"_They were planning to use the Avatar to barge into your chambers and kill you in your sleep," I said._

_He chuckled and it made my skin crawl. "That would be hard to do now," he said._

"_Why?" I asked. _

_He looked at me like I was an invalid. "My daughter said that we were passed out for a while. I guess that nobody would have told you, either," he said with a smile. The mention of his daughter gave me goose bumps. She was the reason why I was here. "Prince Zuko killed the Avatar himself."_

_I stopped breathing. He was lying; he had to have been lying. Aang couldn't be dead, no, not Aang. I mean, I thought that he looked dead in the catacombs, but he couldn't have been. "When?" I asked with what little oxygen I had left._

_The Fire Lord leaned forward and grabbed my chin again. "Why," he whispered, "during the raid you were captured in." He gave me another kiss, but it lasted longer than the first one. He drew back once more and got comfortable._

_I decided to take this opportunity to ask him some questions. "What about your life, Fire Lord?" I asked. He seemed to laugh and I knew that he wasn't going to lie to me for some reason._

"_I lived a very privileged life," he answered. "I was a prince, after all." He seemed bored and I leaned over him playfully. I had to keep him interested in me because I knew he had plenty of other women to take my place._

"_But, my Lord, life could not have been so eternally perfect," I said. I hoped that I was being as respectful as possible. "Surely, you had to have had some hardships."_

_He glared at me and I knew that I crossed a line. "My life has always been perfect."_

_I dropped the subject quickly. He could have me killed if he didn't like me. "Tell me about your children, then," I said._

_He nodded. "Azula, my second-born is my prodigal child. She is a master firebender and a perfect child. She, of course, is my favorite. Zuko," he thought for a few moments. "He is his mother's son."_

_I giggled for some strange reason. I didn't know why I was laughing, but I could assume it was because he had insulted Zuko. I feel differently about Zuko since he decided to betray Iroh and me. I thought…well, I don't know what I thought, but I guess that he didn't feel the same thing._

"_We have had a nice conversation, perhaps it is time you performed your duties," he smiled. I shuddered, and I hoped that he didn't see my skin try to crawl off of my bones as I leaned toward him and nestled my lips onto his own. "No kissing," he murmured. I nodded and proceeded to slip out of my robe. He slid his pants off and stopped me from undressing. He was kneeling on the bed, in his underwear and staring at the skimpy clothes that I was wearing. He grasped the back of my neck and I let my head fall slowly to the bed below us. I laid there and he stared at me like he was going to devour me. I waited as he quickly took off his underwear, revealing his erection. I watched as his quick fingers pinched the fabric of my lingerie and burned them off. _

"Daydreaming?" Zaho asked.

I uncovered my eyes and threw my grey pillow at him. I wasn't going to hit him because of his spiritual form, but I knew that it would make me feel good. I got out of bed and grabbed for the doorknob. I turned it, but it wouldn't budge. A part of me panicked because I was locked in this god-forsaken room reeking of sex and wearing nothing but…what in Agni was I wearing?

I looked down at the fabric. It was a glossy, red material, but not too showy. I rubbed it between two of my fingers and finally realized that it was the shirt to the leggings that the Fire Lord had worn. My knees felt weak and I fell onto the floor, shivering violently.

When did I acquire this material? I thought hard. The first time that I was there was when we were on the bed; the second was in the bath for some strange reason; the third was in his living quarters and the last time that I was there…what happened? I mean, he called on me three times, I know that; I was extremely pissed off for all three "wake-ups" because I had just fallen asleep. Ah, now I remember, the Fire Lord was changing when I was brought in and we managed to make a nest in the closet out of his robes.

Wow, I guess that nobody really knows the Fire Lord unless they are his concubine. I mean, bed, bath, couch, closet…that sounds like the name of a store or something.

"I guess that now is not the best time to tell you that there is a present for you coming down the hallway as I speak. I suppose that you did a good job last night," Zhao muttered.

I looked at him, clueless. A gift? What was it? Before I could ask, Master disappeared and the door clicked. I stood up quickly, adjusted myself and watched the door open. The Head Mistress walked in, smiling and carrying a neatly wrapped package.

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><p><strong>I promise to update sometime this week. I didn't realize how long it was until somebody reviewed me last week. :)<strong>


	8. Blue Butterfly

**I figured that since I haven't updated in a while, I would give you the equivalent of three chapters. Happy reading and tell me what you think.**

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><p>There was a knock at the door and Koori looked at the doorknob. There was a click – no doubt the sound of the Head Mistress unlocking the door. The golden doorknob turned and then opened. Koori immediately knelt on the ground and bowed to the Head Mistress. She did not look up as the Head Mistress beamed at her.<p>

"You have done very well, Koori," she whispered as she closed the door tightly. "So well, in fact, that the Fire Lord has given you a gift." She outstretched her greedy hands and held the red package in front of her. Koori noticed that the paper was crinkled and that the bow was carelessly tied – the Head Mistress must have already opened the package and saw what was inside.

Koori stood and grasped the red package firmly. The paper crinkled under her fingertips and a small smile crossed her lips. It had been a long time since she had gotten a gift and she hoped that it was not a silly piece of lingerie. The Head Mistress stood over her, watching, as she pulled back the crunching fabric to reveal a brilliantly white box – a jewelry box. It was finely decorated with a golden dragon racing across the sides; the dragon's head rested on the top, intimidating all who were not the owner of the fine jewelry that it would one day hold within its stomach.

"Oh, open it already, Koori," the Head Mistress said with a smile that could frighten a lion-turtle.

Koori's twitchy hands fiddled with the clasp. With a small amount of agitation, the golden clasp popped open and a small golden dragon on a golden spinning pedestal popped out of the box. A lullaby started to play. Koori stared at the dancing dragon for a moment before she recognized a small blue butterfly necklace. She placed the music box onto the table across from her bed and touched the beautiful blue butterfly. At her touch, the butterfly glittered and cooled her fingertips. She sighed; it was a beautiful piece of jewelry.

"Oh, Head Mistress," Koori said with a shy smile, "I must find some way to thank him."

The Head Mistress smiled. "Koori, darling, by being in his harem and doing your job well, you have earned such an elegant piece of jewelry."

Koori continued to stare at the blue butterfly as the Head Mistress left the room. She listened for the click of a lock, but it never came. Koori beamed; she was free to roam the halls now, she presumed.

"Master," Koori whispered.

Zhao appeared. He was leaning against the grey, drab wall with his hands behind his back. His shackles shifted and clanged as he sauntered toward his previously-owned slave. "You rang," he said with a frown. She held up the butterfly; a smile was spread across her lips. He rolled his eyes. "Pretty," he scoffed.

Koori huffed and held the butterfly close to her chest. "Oh, come now, Master," she said with a frown. "Surely this is a gift that he gives to all of the members of his harem. I am merely confused that he would present such a gift so early in our relationship."

He stiffened. "Relationship?" he asked. Zhao walked passed his concubine and slammed the jewelry box shut; he did not want to hear that infernal lullaby.

Koori turned to him and touched his cheek. Although he could not feel the comfort of her hand, he sighed and looked down into her eyes. Those golden orbs trapped him like they never did before. She closed her eyes and for a brief moment, he desperately wanted her to open those delicate lids again. She did and he stood still for one more moment.

"Master, by _relationship_, I am certain that you understand," she turned on her heels and opened the music box. The slow song started to play. Koori beamed and Zhao stood, confused and frustrated.

Koori could hear his chains clank together as he moved toward the unmade bed. He sat on the covers and laced his fingers together. Koori turned to face her previous owner. "Are you upset?" she asked.

"No," he grunted. Koori frowned; of course he was upset; he was pouting.

"Master," Koori whispered, "I am sure that we-"

The door opened suddenly and the Head Mistress entered; she was panting. Her grubby fingers found Koori's hand and she was pulled out of her room. Zhao stared, shocked, and then quickly followed after slamming the music box closed.

Both women ran down the halls. The Head Mistress looked behind herself and found Koori's confused and worried eyes. She decided that she should explain her intrusion. "The Fire Lord wants an audience with you in a little while. We must get you bathed, dressed and ready to meet him," the Head Mistress said in between her long strides down the halls. "You must have impressed him. I am so proud."

The Head Mistress disrobed Koori herself and shoved the young girl into the bathwater; the hot water seared Koori's skin and she hissed. The Head Mistress left the room and servant girls attended to Koori's hair, skin, nails and face.

There was no lounging in the bathtub and having a small conversation with her previous Master. The servants washed her diligently without speaking and dressed her while murmuring quietly. Ai was standing over them, watching and making sure that the job was being performed correctly. The Head Mistress walked into the room once the maids were done and looked over every crease in Koori's dress while the servant girl's watched.

"You fools," the Head Mistress snapped.

Instantly, Ai stepped forward, bowed and said, "My Head Mistress, what is wrong with her attire?"

The Head Mistress grabbed Koori's white collar, pulled the young harem member forward and then growled. "This is what is wrong," she screamed. "She may be a novice, but for Agni's sake, she should have a pink collar! What is wrong with you stupid, silly girls? Perhaps you should stop chatting and pay more attention to detail. Who is the girl who put this white collar onto this _deflowered_ concubine?"

No girl answered and the Head Mistress huffed—she was angry and this huff promised some form of punishment. The girls quivered and Koori watched as the Head Mistress slapped every servant on the head. She left the room and a young girl started to cry. The older servant girls started to shush the crying young woman, but it would not help. Koori walked over silently, and the crowd dispersed, leaving only the young girl. Koori bent down and hugged the young servant. She pressed her mouth to the side of the girl's head and made a shushing sound.

"Some people can be cruel, but you must push through. Life gets better, it always does," Koori whispered.

The young girl sniffled, rubbed her nose and cleaned off her face. She stared at Koori for a moment and then backed away—their eyes never met during this entire confrontation.

More servants came closer, they were smiling softly. They took off all of Koori's layered dresses to remove the white collared shirt. The appropriate pink shirt was put on and straightened. The layers of red and maroon dresses were once again placed onto her frame. The maids no longer said anything and Ai kept careful watch over their actions.

"Might I ask a question?"

The maids turned to the concubine and nodded. Ai stepped closer to her old friend and grasped her shoulder. "Ask whatever you wish, Koori," she whispered.

"The collar—why does it matter what color it is?"

Ai smiled. "Oh, that is an easy answer, Koori. The colors determine what kind of position you hold in the harem. White—which is the color that you adorned during your practice and even your deflowering, determines that you are a concubine in training. It is necessary for all novice concubines to wear white during their first month of as a member of the harem. Pink—the color that you are wearing now, says that you have completed your preliminary training. You must wear the pink collar for a full year before you can obtain a maroon collar. The maroon collar means that you are a professional concubine—few of the harem have ever obtained this honor. All who adorn this color are the Fire Lord's personal favorite. Gold is the color of a retired concubine, but few women ever reach retirement. Disease and murder is rampant in the harem. Blood red—this is the color of the Head Mistress and the women who are in training to become a Head Mistress. Those are the women that you want to stay away from."

"Training to be a Head Mistress? There is only one, surely that is not a position that is filled frequently," Koori said with a hint of confusion.

Ai laughed and the other servants sat around Koori in a semicircle. They presented a mirror to the young concubine and Koori looked at her reflection. She sighed as she looked over the elegant kimono and fancy hairstyle.

"There are multiple Head Mistresses. In fact, I believe that there are twenty-one. You just happen to be unfortunately lucky and were placed in the harem that specializes in serving the wants of the royals. Other harems serve the generals, admirals and other high standing officers that this palace sometimes houses."

Koori nodded and felt the silk of the pink collar. Why was she being forced to wear this collar so soon? The Head Mistress stomped into the room after she threw the chestnut double doors aside. She looked Koori over once more and nodded in approval. She pulled the blue butterfly out of her side pocket; the Head Mistress had obviously gone into Koori's room in search for the delicate treasure. She pulled the chain apart at the clasp and put the chain around Koori's neck. She tightened the necklace and clasped it. Koori straightened the blue butterfly to fit the nape of her neck.

She clapped her hands together and smiled. "Much better!" The girls nodded at her approval while the Head Mistress shoved the young Koori out the double doors that she had just ripped open.

The pair sauntered down the halls. The Head Mistress looked over to Koori's gait. "Oh, no no no no," she whispered to the concubine. "You mustn't walk like that; you look like a common slave. Walk like this." The Head Mistress stuck her chest up high, pulled her chin up and positioned her hands in front of her stomach. Her hands were clasped lightly around on another. Koori mimicked her Head Mistress and the woman smiled. "Oh, yes, that is much better."

They came to a large door that bore the Fire Nation insignia. Two guards stood watch in front of this immaculate door and the Head Mistress looked at them and waved her heavily manicured fingers. They parted; each grabbed a door handle and pulled. They revealed an enormous dining table surrounded by red, gold, maroon and black pillows. On top of the table was a roasted chicken-hog. It had a juicy red apple between its smiling, golden teeth. More dishes surrounded the dead animal, but the chicken-hog was the immaculate centerpiece. Koori's breath was taken away—the room was so beautiful and it smelled succulent.

The Head Mistress walked into the room without paying attention to the décor or the feast on the table. She trotted to the black pillow with her nametag. "Come, come; sit, sit," she said.

Koori followed and sat at the table hesitantly beside the Head Mistress. Another door opened behind the pair and the hair on Koori's neck stood.

"Welcome," the Fire Lord said. Both women stood to give a deep bow. He sat at the head of the table and smiled at the young concubine and nodded to the Head Mistress. They sat quickly.

The door in front of the three opened and the Prince of the Fire Nation walked in. He paused when he saw who else was in the room. After his brief moment of shock, he walked to the table and sat at the right hand of his father. He bowed to him and rose quickly to inspect the beautiful bounty before him.

"Zuko," the Fire Lord said with a sickening smile. "Do you find this young woman attractive?"

Koori held her breath and stifled her blush with thoughts of hatred towards the young prince. Zuko's eyes glanced at her and quickly returned to his father. "She is quite an exquisite young woman," he said.

The Fire Lord smiled. "It is nice to hear you say such a kind remark. I also see that she is wearing one of my gifts. The blue butterfly around her neck was crafted by an excellent sword maker. He dabbled in art for a short while and all of his pieces are of the highest quality. He picks the most marvelous jewels and the best metals," the Fire Lord said. Zuko sat silently; he did not want to disrupt his father. "For instance, the jewel around this young woman's neck is from the catacombs of the Southern Water Tribe. Stories say that those particular jewels protect all who wear them."

"It is a brilliant gift, if I do say so myself," the Head Mistress said, interrupting the Fire Lord. "Koori was so pleased when she unwrapped it."

"Did you enjoy it?" the Fire Lord asked.

Zuko stiffened as Koori boldly brought her gaze to the long beard of the Fire Lord. "Of course, your majesty. I will forever enjoy the beauty of this immaculate piece of jewelry. I thank you immensely for this wonderful and thoughtful gift," Koori said.

The Head Mistress smiled and Zuko relaxed once Koori's gaze returned to her lap.

"I do not mean to be rude," Zuko said to his father. "But, what are these two women doing here?"

The Fire Lord nodded and folded his hands in front of his chest, on the table. Zuko grabbed the goblet in front of him and took a deep sip of the succulent wine. "She is to keep you company tonight."

The Head Mistress almost bounced out of her chair. Her smile could make a small infant burst into tears and Koori was afraid that her face would tear in half. Zuko, on the other hand, choked on his drink.

"What?" he asked.

"It is time that you have your fill with the royal harem. This is normally customary when you become fifteen, but, because of the circumstances, you obviously missed your opportunity. You said that you found her suitable, is there a problem?"

Zuko shook his head. "No, father."

"Good. Then all is settled, she will meet you tonight. Koori, Head Mistress Lea, you are dismissed."

Koori and the Head Mistress stood slowly, bowed deeply and left the dining room. The Head Mistress grabbed Koori and hugged her once they were safely away from the Royal Wing.

"Oh, Koori," she whispered, "I knew that you would bring me some luck!"

They entered the Harem Wing and the Head Mistress instantly brought Ai and her crew to the room that Koori would dress in. The young and speechless concubine kneeled in the corner while her outfit for the young Fire Prince was decided. She would wear something conservative—young boys need to use their imagination.

Koori was bathed again, but this time, she was left alone to soak.

"Master," she whispered. "Master, I need you now more than ever."

Zhao appeared in his usual spot on the side of the tub with his feet dangling in the water. "I heard everything. I was there beside you."

"Master, what am I to do?"

She waded close to him and rested her head on the stone slab beside him. He tousled her hair and she gave a weak smile. "It's because you like him," he mocked.

Koori's head bolted up and she glared. "He betrayed me; I can never love someone who betrayed me."

Zhao frowned. "I never said _love_."

Koori's gaze returned to the stone tile. "I do not even know what love is, Master."

"Mhmm," Zhao said. "What was your attitude towards your parents? Your brother? Mizu? Your sister-in law? General Iroh?"

Koori smiled. "I do not remember my attitude towards my parents because I can barely remember them. I admire my brother and am grateful for his hospitality. Little, darling Mizu is different—she is a child, you cannot show any feeling other than affection toward a beautiful creature such as that. I do not know my sister-in-law well, but I do admire her courageousness. General Iroh," Koori paused as she thought. "General Iroh may have cared for me, but I feel nothing but sorrow for him."

Zhao seemed surprised. "Sorrow?"

Koori looked at him and nodded. "How could I not? Prince Zuko betrayed him as well. I could forgive Zuko's actions against me in due time, but the actions toward his uncle are different. I am sure that General Iroh is more disappointed in the young Fire Prince than any of us."

The door opened and Ai walked in with a fluffy towel. Koori was dried off and put in a silky red dress. It hugged her curves, but was not too tight. The straps that came up over her shoulders were made of a gold silk that matched the trim around her breasts and at the bottom of the dress; the dress ended at the crease between her buttock and the start of her leg. If she was to bend over, the skimpy underwear that she wore would be exposed.

The Head Mistress smiled at her creation. "Oh, he will just eat you up. And I mean that literally," she said with a devilish smile.

Koori weakly smiled back and a robe with a pink collar was placed around her shoulders. She wrapped it tightly around herself as the Head Mistress took her to the Prince's Wing. Once again, an ornate door stood before her and she was lead into the bedroom. The Head Mistress took her cloak and smiled.

"The Fire Lord has given me specific instructions: you are to spend the entire night with the prince. Lay by him and give him the most pleasurable night of his life."

Koori nodded and the Head Mistress left with the cloak wrapped in her greedy fingers.

The young concubine was left alone in the room. She looked at the red walls and the painted ceiling. A red and a blue dragon were fighting—how appropriate. The mahogany bed was covered with silky red sheets. Curtains came down around the bed at the corners and Koori felt the fabric. An expansive bathroom, closet, changing room, living room, personal dining room and library were hidden behind the doors lining the room. She sat on the bed and positioned herself seductively on the sheets.

_What are you doing?_

She jumped at the sound of Zhao's voice but thought against saying anything to him in case there were people in the walls. Instead, she stood, walked to the wall and put her ear against it. She heard a few shuffles and smirked.

"I am only going to ask once," she said while looking at the spot she just came from. "I want you to leave the Prince and me alone tonight. I am asking only out of respect for the Fire Nation and its traditions."

_I will see you later, then._

Koori held her ear up to the door once more and heard feet moving away and then a soft whisper, "how did she know that we were there?"

She returned to her seductive pose on the bed and waited for the door to open. Finally, after a short while, the knob turned and a familiar face walked in. Koori waited, she would not stand and bow to this traitor until he saw her seductive position. He walked over with a scroll in his hands and sat on the couch, ignoring her existence. She huffed to catch his attention and his head turned slightly, but he immediately returned to his scroll. Koori continued to lie there, waiting for him.

At long last, he stood, went into his library and returned to sit on the couch facing away from the bed. Koori placed her hair on the silky comforter and closed her eyes, she was starting to get sleepy and by the looks of things, Zuko did not want her company. She opened her eyes immediately at the sound of him getting comfortable on the couch. It looked as if he planned on sleeping there. She took in a deep breath and courage filled her heart. If she said something, it would be between friends, right? Had this trip to the Fire Nation truly destroyed the friendship that had started to bloom?

"Prince Zuko," Koori whispered.

Zuko had been staring at the ceiling. He wanted Koori to leave his room, but it was against tradition to kick her out. It would also insult his father and another Agni Kai was something that he did not want to face again. He closed his eyes at the sound of her sweet whisper. He opened his mouth, but no sound would come out. He grunted to let her know that he was listening.

Koori stood from the bed and walked carefully over to the prince of the Fire Nation. "Prince Zuko," she repeated. She knelt down in front of the couch he was laying on. Her fingers were lightly grasping the black komodo-rhino skin that lined the couch. She stared into the face that would not look at her; a single word loomed in her golden eyes. Zuko turned his head slightly to look at the poor girl beside him. She opened her cherry lips. "Why?"

Zuko turned his head completely to face the young concubine. She was kneeling beside him in the shortest dress that he had ever seen. Her cleavage was visible and the white skin that formed the rest of her body seemed to flow around the red and gold piece of fabric around her waist. She looked so desperate and unhappy. All that she wanted to know, he assumed, was why she was beside him and not beside her brother, sister-in-law and little infant Mizu.

His legs flew over the side of the couch and he stood. He walked away from Koori to lie on his bed. Zuko closed his eyes but felt the weight of another individual on his mattress. Koori had placed herself beside him on the bed. She hugged the side of the mattress to allow a two foot gap between them. Zuko took in a deep breath, looked at Koori's milky back and sighed, "For love". With that, he fell asleep.

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><p><strong>If anybody got the reference(s) towards the butterfly, you get an A+<strong>


	9. Him

**This chapter is pretty short, but I wrote it really quickly to surprise you guys for Independence Day!**

**Remember, I own nothing but my little firebending healer. :)**

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><p>Zuko slept soundly during the night and woke with a start before sunrise. He looked down at the head on his chest. An arm was wrapped up next to the head; the hand was curled slightly. Black hair tickled the skin on his arms and he moved, but the young concubine did not stir. He took in a deep breath and looked at the skimpy clothes that she wore. The piece of fabric around her middle that was supposed to be a dress now rested on her hip. He could see most of her milky skin—her long, smooth legs entranced him the most. The pink, exposed lingerie made him blush. Her cleavage was still visible and she twitched. Her hand fully clenched itself and she opened her eyes. Those glorious golden irises met his own. He froze but quickly shoved her away and stood off of the bed.<p>

Koori had rolled over the side of the bed. She landed on the floor with her knees and hands. She stood quickly as Zuko walked into his bathroom. He threw his shirt on the ground in his room before he shut the door.

Koori watched the door close and she pulled her hair behind her neck—the brilliant black bun had been ruined during the night. She held her hair back for a moment and paused. Thinking that she looked too decent, she ruffled her hair and tore off the left strap of her dress. Koori looked around and found Zuko's cologne. She spritzed it on herself and grabbed the shirt from his bedroom floor. She put it on.

The red shirt fell to her mid-thigh and she sighed. The door to the bathroom opened and Zuko exited. He froze for a moment before walking into his closet.

"Prince Zuko," Koori whispered. She was not sure if he was listening, but she wanted to leave the awkwardness of his room. Zuko stood in his closet. His head was leaning against the mahogany pillar in the middle of the large room. He wanted to hear Koori's voice, but he could not talk to her. "Prince Zuko, I need you to do me a favor. Just this once, I beg of you."

Zuko walked to the doorway of his closet and stared at the young girl before him. She was wearing the dirty shirt that he had just thrown on the ground—she also reeked of his cologne. His gaze softened once he realized that she was preparing to lie about her previous night. "Koori?" he asked.

She looked up, but then immediately looked down again. "Please," she searched for the right words, "please request me every night."

She turned on her heel quickly and her bare feet pounded as she ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She left without hearing his answer. "Okay," he whispered to himself.

-!-

Koori ran down the halls until she reached her bedroom. She hurried inside and threw herself to the floor.

"Interesting evening?" Zhao asked.

Koori reached up for her pillow and threw it at him to make herself feel better. The pillow collided with the desk. The music box popped open and the chimes started to play, but Koori found the sounds to be annoying and she did nothing when Zhao slammed the box shut.

"Master, I need to get out of here," Koori whispered.

Zhao tutted. "What about the prophesy? Lady Li and Lo would be quiet disappointed in you after I bragged about you all of these years."

Koori groaned and turned herself around on the floor. Her stomach gurgled and Zhao smiled. "What do I have to do again?" she asked.

"Oh, what was it," Zhao said with a quirky smile. "Show the prince who he is really meant to be?"

Koori rolled her eyes. "I do not think that 'showing the prince who is really meant to be' is possible. He will hardly acknowledge me, let alone talk to me."

Zhao's chains rattled as he sat beside his young concubine. He pulled his knees against his chest and cupped Koori's chin. "You failed the spirits the last time. Imagine what they will do to you if you fail them once more. Besides, you caught his heart once, you can do it again."

Koori shook her head and the door opened. Ai sauntered in and grabbed her hand. "Koori, sweetheart, the Head Mistress is very pleased with you, but…" The young girl bit her lip and looked to the left. The shadow of the Head Mistress loomed in the doorway and Ai rushed into a bow.

The ugly, old woman rushed into the room and grabbed Koori by the hand. "What have you done!" she screamed. Ai sprinted out of the room as the old woman grabbed her hair and threw her. The Head Mistress then grabbed Koori's hand and drug her out of the room. Koori trailed behind the highly perfumed woman. She was confused and dazed. The other concubines stuck their noses up as the pair sprinted by. The Head Mistress threw Koori into her office—she landed on the stone floor. The old woman rushed behind her desk and smiled at the young concubine. Her entire demeanor changed. "Koori, Koori, Koori," she whispered. "You have definitely proven yourself. How was your evening?"

Koori struggled to get herself situated. "It was pleasant," Koori whispered curtly.

"Good, you will be having many more pleasant evenings with the prince because he has requested your company for every night." The Head Mistress clapped her hands together and started to write on the piece of parchment in front of her. After a few minutes of scribbling, the woman looked up and gave the young girl a dirty look. "You can leave now."

Koori stood, took a deep bow and ran out of the door quickly. She had duties to attend to, but first, she would change her clothes. Koori looked for Ai and waved her down. "A change of clothes?" Ai asked.

Koori nodded and Ai took her to a closet. In this room, Koori's eyes were graced with some of the most beautiful fabrics she had ever seen. Kimonos, lingerie and accessories lined the walls. Ai presented a pink-collared kimono to the concubine. Koori took it, took off Zuko's shirt and the shreds of fabric that were her dress from the previous night. Ai helped her dress in a dazed silence.

She walked out of the Harem Wing and into the Royal Garden. She picked a few flowers—mostly red, yellow and pink panda lilies. She arranged them nicely, but the other ladies were still in the process of picking their assortment. Koori placed her arrangement in a golden vase and walked into the palace slowly.

Koori looked down at her sloppy gait—the Head Mistress would be furious if she saw her walking like that. She pushed her chest up, held her hands in front of her chest and kept her chin high. This would be the first time that she would walk the palace halls and she did not want to disappoint the Head Mistress. She didn't know where she would walk to, but the sound of her feet hitting the stone floors soothed her. She closed her eyes as she walked and let her senses control where she was going. Koori knew that she was bound to get lost, but she didn't care, she just wanted to walk.

"Koori," Zhao said. There was a hint of panic in his voice and Koori opened her eyes. Admiral Akira stood before her, a large smile was plastered onto his bearded face.

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><p><strong>Oh, Agni! Whatever shall happen next! Please tell me if you like where this is going, because I have quite a few surprises for this book.<strong>


	10. The Library

**I haven't been getting very many reviews lately and I desperately need you guys to tell me what you think. Please, once you finish reading this chapter, tell me if you hated or enjoyed this chapter. I have to know if you like where this is going. Readers, you all have been so nice to me in the past and I am quite honest when I say that I have not been as generous as I should have been. I am sorry for that.**

**I also want to get this story finished by the end of summer and I cannot wait for you guys to read the next few chapters. So, please have fun and remember - I do not own anything.**

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><p>Koori stood, frozen and frightened as Admiral Akira continued smiling. He then held his chest and started to chuckle. "Agni," he said while he looked up to the ceiling and rubbed a fake tear from his right eye, "you must love me so much."<p>

Zhao stood at Koori's side. He nudged Koori, but his hand went through her arm. "Koori," he said in a frantic whisper, "you must get out of here."

Koori was still frozen to the floor, staring at the bearded man. He frowned at her glossy eyes and walked over to her. His grubby, bitten fingernail pointed to her collar. "Still maintained your position?" he asked. She remained still and held her breath while he touched her cheek. "And still frightened by me," he tatted.

Zhao waved his arms; the chains shook violently at his movements. "Koori," he screamed. "Koori, move!"

The young concubine closed her eyes and escaped her trance. "Do I know you?" she asked. Zhao smiled; she had changed her voice and looked directly at the bearded Admiral. Akira frowned at the difference in voice and mannerism.

"I know that it is you, don't play dumb," Akira grunted. "Zhao's old concubine is not so easy to forget."

Footsteps echoed down the hall and Fire Lord Ozai paused at the confrontation. "Admiral Akira?" he asked, glancing at Koori and then to his officer. Koori and Akira both bowed to Ozai, but Koori's bow was much longer and lower. Ozai reached for Koori's hand and pecked her knuckle. Koori blushed and the Fire Lord turned to his officer. "Admiral, I request your assistance in the war room. We must discuss the _day of black sun_. Princess Azula has been waiting to tell us what she discovered in the Earth Kingdom while she infiltrated the Earth King's palace. Why don't we walk together?"

Koori bowed once more as the pair walked off together. Akira turned his head to get one last look at the familiar, young concubine. He winked at her as she stood from her bow. Koori shivered once she could no longer see them and let out a slow sigh.

"How did he survive?" Koori asked. She held her chest because her heart rate had risen during her unfortunate meeting with the Admiral.

Zhao stood beside her, his hands were clenched tightly together and he wore an unhappy grin. Koori turned on her heel and walked back to the Harem Wing. She passed young ladies being prepared for the night and knew that she would be joining them soon. She reached her door, but the knob was locked. She jiggled it and huffed angrily. Ai walked over to her friend.

"You were moved," she said. Koori listened intently. Ai cleared her throat and grasped Koori's hand. "I will take you to your new room." Koori nodded and followed Ai down the hall. Small golden plaques on cherry doors held the names of concubines. Ai stopped in front of one door. A lonely symbol rested on Koori's plaque—the symbol of ice. Ai turned the golden knob and Koori stared at the large room. Something about this room shocked her and Ai noticed. "I bet that you are used to a room that looks just like this," Ai whispered once the door was shut tightly behind her.

Koori nodded. "It looks like the cabins on the ships," she whispered back. Koori looked at the familiar style—the only difference was that there was no metal. Cherry wood lined the walls, the bed and the quaint desk. Koori sat on the twin bed. The entire room reminded her of Zhao's Captain days and she smiled at the crimson sheets. Ai sat next to her friend.

"You are moving up the ranks quickly, Koori," Ai muttered. The young woman gripped Koori's hand tightly. "You are threatening the other concubines. You need to start watching your back; they will kill you soon." Ai stood and Koori stared at her. "I will be back to get you ready for the prince." Koori nodded and Ai exited the room.

Zhao laughed once Koori was alone. "Who would have thought that the rooms would be so similar?" He sat at the desk, put his feet up onto the cherry wood and placed his coarse hands behind his head. Koori had not seen him in this position since he was a Captain. She smiled at the familiarity of it all. Quickly, she thought about Ai's comment.

"They will kill me?" Koori asked Zhao. He nodded slowly and stood off of the chair. He sat on the bed next to his concubine and rubbed her shoulder. Cold overwhelmed her and she shivered. Her back hit the bed and Zhao watching intently as she put her hands behind her head. "The _day of black sun_?" she asked.

Zhao snorted and Koori closed her eyes. "There was a library," Zhao started. Koori opened her eyelids and stared intently at the spirit beside her. Zhao leaned against the headboard; his chains clattered together as he repositioned himself. "When you were a small girl, I was on a quest to find a great spiritual library. You see, I was planning the destruction of the Northern Water Tribe long before I actually carried out my attack."

Koori sat up. "Master-"

Zhao smiled. "My crew and I were positioned in a desert of the Earth Kingdom; there were rumors that the library was nearby, but the locals had never seen anything unusual. Then, one afternoon, a couple of soldiers followed some strange looking foxes; the animals led us to the library. Upon entering, a giant owl threatened us. He told us to give him some of our knowledge, or be destroyed." Zhao stood from the bed and sat at the desk. He put his head in his hands; his elbows rested on the cherry wood in front of him. He chuckled and said, "We gave him an old book of tactics and told him that we were there to acquire elements of peace—the spirit actually believed us!" Zhao let out a deep sigh and returned to his melancholy state. "We roamed the library—the owl had documents from every nation.

"My crew searched the documents from the Fire Nation while I went to the Water Tribe section. It only took me a few minutes to find the information that I needed about the spirits of the Water Tribe. I returned to my crew, but they informed me of a weakness—this weakness directly affected firebenders. They showed me the document. It mentioned a _day of black sun_—a solar eclipse that would render the firebenders powerless. I ordered my troops to burn the Fire Nation section. I kept the scrap of paper that I had in my hands; I wanted to show Fire Lord Sozin what I found, but the paper started to burn and I dropped it as a giant figure approached us.

"I had forgotten about the owl who guarded the library and he attacked once he saw what we were doing. We retreated, but he captured some of my crew. He ate all of the men that he captured and then regurgitated some odd looking masks. The owl let out a horrifying screech and the ground started to shake. The owl was sinking the giant library into the sand—we ran faster, but most of my crew did not survive."

"But, if the library sank, how does Princess Azula know about the _day of black sun_?" Koori asked slowly.

Zhao looked up at his slave and shook his head. "I can only assume that the Avatar and his friends found the library. They must have discovered some remnants of the Fire Nation section. When the princess attacked Ba Sing Se, she must have discovered the Avatar's plan of attack."

Koori groaned. "And I bet that the Avatar and his friends, if they are still alive, are still planning to attack on this day." Koori stood up and started to pace the room. She pressed her shaking left hand onto her cheek. She turned to Zhao and he knew what she was going to say. "We must tell them before it is too late."

Zhao grinned. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that? Especially with Akira watching your every move."

Koori shrugged and heard a knock on her door. Ai walked in and guided Koori to the bathroom. Servants were waiting to bathe the young concubine and tend to her every need. They worked on her hair, makeup, skin and nails. They worked in silence, but Koori noticed that they took their time. Koori sighed, there would be no time to soak and continue her conversation with her previous master. A skimpy piece of lingerie was placed on her frame and Koori prepared herself for an uncomfortable and awkward evening.

The Head Mistress led Koori to Zuko's room, took off the cloak Koori was wearing and left quickly. The doorknob on the other side of the room turned and Zuko exited his library. Koori curtsied to him and he merely looked at her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

The young girl could not remember the last time that she ate—just like Zhao, the Head Mistress limited how much sustenance she could consume. Zuko grabbed his robe and threw it over the young girl. It covered her inappropriately exposed skin.

The prince walked over to a small table that contained a golden tray. Food was piled on it and Koori held back the intense feeling to lick her lips.

Zuko sat and held his hand out for Koori to do the same. She did and he watched her intently. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Koori looked away from him and closed her eyes.

"Thank you for the robe, Prince Zuko," she muttered.

Zuko nodded and then grabbed a goblet filled with wine. He took a sip and then turned to the young girl. "I think that it is about time that we had a long talk, Koori," Zuko whispered.

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><p><strong>The next chapter is already written. I will modify and post it once somebody tells me what they think about my story!<strong>


	11. The Old Zuko

**I want to update in two days, but you guys/girls will be responsible for that. Just tell me what you think and I will update quickly.**

**Once again, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender and I thought that it was about time I started to follow their storyline!**

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><p>Koori sat still; he wanted to talk? She stopped breathing while he grabbed a scoop of rice and plopped it on her plate. He continued to serve them both foods from various nations until Koori escaped her trance and snatched the spoon from him. He batted her hand away and continued to serve them both until their plates were full.<p>

Zuko forked food into his mouth. "You better eat up, we have a long walk to look forward to," he said between mouthfuls.

Koori nodded and grabbed her utensils. Her plate was clean long before Zuko's was and he offered her more. She denied the sustenance even though she wanted to eat until she passed out. Once Zuko finished, he went into his closet and pulled out an outfit. He tossed the black fabric to the young concubine and he ordered her to change. Koori looked around and stripped. Zuko watched for a short while until she started to peel off the lingerie. He respectfully turned his back until she was finished.

He grabbed her cloaked arm and led her though a pair of large, cherry doors that took them both outside of the palace. She stopped at the stairs before them and turned to him.

"If they find out that I left-"

"What are they going to say, Koori? I am the prince!" Zuko spat. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm again. He shoved her down the stairs and she cringed—he was angry and she did not know why. The stairs ended at a vegetable garden below the palace and Zuko let her go. She rubbed her arm—his grip would leave a bruise later. He turned to her and saw that he hurt her. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay," she whispered.

Zuko looked around and walked out onto a pathway behind some trees. Koori followed him hesitantly as she looked back up at the dimly lit palace. He reached for her arm, but she turned away from him. "Koori," he started. She looked directly at him and was reminded of the old Zuko—the one that she knew in Ba Sing Se. Even the arrogant and self-righteous Zuko that existed when she first met him was better than the angry and emotional Zuko before her. He stopped walking and closed his eyes. "I think that the Avatar is still alive."

Koori's heart stopped and for a fleeting moment, she wished that he was telling the truth. He looked at her with his deep, golden irises and Koori opened her dry mouth. "Why would you think that?" she asked hesitantly.

Zuko shrugged his shoulders and continued his silent trot down the path. "The waterbender—Katara—had a pouch of special healing water. She said that it could heal me." He touched his face and exhaled. "Azula shocked him with lightening and I am pretty sure that she would have used that water on the Avatar. He is still alive, I can feel it."

Koori smiled at the thought of Aang being alive. "What are you going to do?" Koori asked.

Zuko grinned and lightly grasped Koori's arm. Her arm wound around his perfectly and their skin touched; Koori jumped at the surge of electricity that occurred at the interaction. Zuko smiled at the familiarity of her skin against his own as they walked down the pathway.

They stopped at a cavern. A large figure was waiting for them and Koori gulped at the glossy hand and foot—it was the metal man that captured her. Zuko walked up to him and Koori stayed in the shadows, but the metal man never looked at the fire prince, only at the familiar young girl. Zuko had a short conversation with the metal man; the prince of the Fire Nation wanted the Avatar dead.

The man nodded at Zuko's request and both turned to leave. The metal man paused, turned back around and took one last look at Koori. "I see that somebody else brought you here," he grunted.

Koori meekly nodded and looked at the prince. His eyes told her that he was confused, but he continued to walk away, like nothing happened. Once the metal man was out of sight, Koori decided to start talking. She looked at the prince and he stopped, waiting for her story.

"I met him a while back," Koori started. He nodded. "When Mast-" Zuko flinched and Koori corrected herself, "when Zhao died, the Northern Water Tribe took care of me and after I left their care, I roamed the Earth Kingdom before I was taken to Ba Sing Se. I ran into an old Fire Nation Navy Admiral named Jeong Jeong. He had a camp that Shika and I ran into—he cared for me; he even taught me some firebending moves." Koori started to walk away, but Zuko guided her in the opposite direction. "I stayed at his camp for two weeks until some trackers attacked us. There were posters of me everywhere—wanted posters. They separated us and then the metal man came along. He started to take me here and I never understood why."

Koori's story was short and it didn't contain all of the details, but Zuko seemed pleased. Koori, on the other hand, seemed emotionally detached. "Prince Zuko," she whispered. He turned to look at the right side of her face in the moonlight. Her features were shadowed, but he could still see a fiery glint in her eyes against her pale skin. "Why do you want to hurt Aang?"

Zuko paused but then kept walking. He couldn't answer the question. "Why don't you?"

"Because he is the Avatar. He is the only hope that I have left in this world. Zhao is dead, I do not know where my brother is and you have changed. Everything that I thought I would be has been torn from me."

Zuko remained silent and they walked up the long stairs with nothing but the sounds of their feet hitting the cold stones. They walked through the quiet hallways until they came to a large door. Zuko ushered Koori into his room and she sat on his couch. She wiggled on the rhino hide and laid against the skins. Zuko watched and grasped her shoulder. She stood and followed his movements. He took off her cloak with quick fingers and he smirked at the sight of his black wardrobe on her small frame. Zuko led her to his bed and she sat. He walked around his room and placed himself on the other side of the mattress. He sat on the maroon sheets and then leaned back into the mattress and pillows.

Koori watched him fall asleep and she took in a deep breath. The candles extinguished themselves at her exhale and she stared into the darkness. A light developed from the corner and she watched as Zhao's spirit transformed into his full figure. He smirked at the young couple and went to Koori's side. He sat on the floor and he positioned his elbows on the mattress. He laid his chin on the mattress beside her face.

"Go to sleep, Koori," he whispered.

He watched his concubine's eyelids get heavy and he smiled when her breathing steadied. He stood and held his chains so they did not wake her. He roamed the prince's room and then paused to look at Zuko moving closer to his slave. The young prince was awake and Zhao stared, curious at first, but then angry when Zuko cupped her exposed shoulder. He pulled the sleeping girl closer and she moaned at the tugs. Zuko stopped when she was laying in the center of the mattress. He moved closer to her as she shifted to her right side. Zuko faced her front and he looked at her calmly. Zhao watched intently.

The prince pulled a few fragments of hair out of the young girl's face. "I wish that things could be different," he whispered.

The prince fell asleep and Zhao held back a scream. Instead, he decided to pay a visit to an old ex-general.

-!-

The spirit floated gently through the prison halls—he heard clapping. Zhao stopped at the source of the clapping and smirked as he went in. Iroh was doing pushups. Zhao took his true form and stared at the ex-general. Iroh stopped once he saw the light. The pair stared intently at each other for a short while before Zhao spoke.

"The guards are far away, you can talk freely."

Iroh looked to his bottom left. "Is she okay?"

Zhao nodded and he sat on the stone floor. "She is doing fine. Zuko has been trying to take care of her."

Iroh seemed disgusted to hear his nephew's name. "Then what are you doing here?" he asked. Iroh turned away from the spirit but Zhao walked through the bars and rattled his chains to get the old man's attention. Iroh glanced at the chains.

"We have a bit of a problem," Zhao sighed. Iroh turned to face the dead man. "Admiral Akira survived the invasion and has found Koori."

Iroh pulled strands of hair from his face and leaned against the bars of his cell. He stood and jumped to the top bars. He pulled himself up with both hands. Zhao waited for his ex-general to come up with a plan, but the old man seemed more interested in his exercise routine. Iroh stopped when Zhao started to become an orb. "How do you feel about all of this?" Iroh asked.

Zhao returned to his full form. His face was filled with sadness and he shook his head. "It disgusts me to see Koori with Zuko, Ozai and Akira. I follow her constantly, even if she asks me to stay away."

Iroh nodded and Zhao floated back to the palace, toward his concubine.

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><p><strong>This chapter is a little short, but I have been trying to remake Zhao's character. A couple of people have pointed this out and I give you all virtual cookies! Is this a realistic character change or should I bring back the "no self control" Admiral? I think that bringing the old Zhao back would be fun, but odd because I imagine the Ocean Spirit or the Earth Spirit zapping him and bringing him back to what I have made him.<strong>

**Give your opinions through reviews, please! And remember, I plan to update in two days and we are nearing "The Beach"!**


	12. The Exposed Secret

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I do, however, own Koori, Akira, Ai and much more. **

**Well, guys and dolls, I figure that I should start out by telling you that I will be away this weekend so I will not be updating until sometime next week. I will, however, be writing down my thoughts during spouts of complete boredom. Please have fun reading!**

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><p>Koori woke up the next morning with Zuko's breath on her shoulder. She pushed herself away from the prince and stood off of the bed; he looked so relaxed while he slept—almost like a child. She looked around and saw Zhao sitting on edge of the komodo-rhino hide couch. He had his arms across his chest and he was glaring evilly at the prince. He softened his eyes when he looked up at Koori. "There are some days when I wish that I could still firebend," he muttered. His face may have looked endearing when he looked at his concubine, but his words held contempt.<p>

Koori ignored him and sniffed herself. She wanted to make sure that she smelled like the prince when she returned to her room. She was satisfied with her scent and made her way to Zuko's door. Koori and Zhao walked out of the room quickly. She rubbed her eyes and stopped when she felt cold overlap her small body. Zhao had walked through her and was standing mere centimeters from her front. It felt like he was trying to hide her from something—or someone.

"Are we upset?" a voice asked.

Koori squinted as her eyes got used to the morning light. The bearded face of Admiral Akira stared at her—amusement filled his bright yellow eyes. Zhao let out a guttural growl; his day was not starting out well.

The young girl gasped and backed away. "You again?" she asked. She had changed her voice and looked directly into his eyes.

Akira smiled and edged toward her. "So what are you doing wandering around the halls this early in the morning wearing-" he paused and stared at Zuko's clothes, "-the clothes of a young man?" His smile got wider and he laughed coarsely. "Were you _doing your duties_?" His heavy breath stung Koori's skin and she backed away once more.

Koori blushed, but decided to ignore him. She had to keep up her charade so she decided to start walking once more. Akira grabbed her shoulder and shoved her into the wall behind her. Both of his coarse hands gripped the black fabric that covered Koori's shoulders. Koori wound her arms around his own and grasped his elbows. She tried to push him away but it wasn't working. His feet were firmly planted into the ground and he was focused on the plan unraveling in his head. Zhao attacked the Admiral, but his punches went right through the man's skull.

"Let me go," Koori whispered. Her tone was threatening, but she was no longer looking into the eyes of the Admiral, she was staring at her burning shoulders.

-!-

Zuko woke up once he heard the click of his door shutting. He sat up and rummaged through his sheets—he missed the strong heat that she gave off when she slept. He fell back into the fabric and closed his eyes. Thoughts of the young girl who had just occupied his bed plagued his mind. He remembered her smile, the smell of her milky skin and the sight of her exposed legs and cleavage that he had seen the previous night. He shook his head to dissipate the pictures. He needed to think of the girl he had.

_Mai._

He sighed at the thought of her name but images of her did not appear before his closed eyes. He did not remember what she smelled like or the texture of her skin. He imagined the feel of her tongue against his own. He shuddered. Her kisses were enjoyable, but they held no emotion; everything was insipid—much like the individual.

Zuko relished the thought of kissing Koori. Their lips had never made contact and he vowed to change that. When their skin touched, a sharp tingle spread over his entire body and he could only image what it would feel like when his sensitive lips would greet her own. A small smile spread across his face and he stood from his bed. He grabbed everything that he would need for a long shower. The cold water was sure to bring him out of the clouds.

-!-

Koori winced as the heat got close to her skin; Zuko's clothes would be destroyed by Akira's cruel hand. Zhao was screaming and cussing, but only the young concubine could hear him. Koori gathered the last of her failing strength and pushed Akira away. He stumbled backward, but the damage was done. He stared intently at the young girl's shoulders as the skin glowed a faint white and healed.

His smiled returned and he straightened out his uniform. "Well, well, well," he snickered, "I have Zhao's old concubine in my presence. Whatever shall I do with this _secret_?"

Koori held her breath and glanced at Zhao. He had stopped his pointless bashing and was crushing himself against the far wall, pounding it with his fist. He growled once more, but it ended in a scream. Tears formed in Koori's golden eyes. "What do you want?" she asked.

Akira's smile could grow no bigger. He strutted closer to Koori; their cheeks touched as he knelt to whisper in her ear. "I will find something, Koori," he whispered. His breath held so much heat and tension that the hair on the young girl's neck and arm stood straight up. "And I can guarantee you that _I_ will have fun."

Akira looked toward the frightened concubine and sniffed her. His smile disappeared when he turned on his heel and strutted down the hallway.

Koori continued to stand against the wall. She was too frightened to move or breathe. Zhao stopped his pounding, screaming and swearing to look over at the statue that was once his bubbly slave. He sighed and rubbed his face roughly. He inspected her meticulously. The black fabric on her shoulders was destroyed and she wasn't breathing or blinking. He got down on his knees and attempted to catch her attention.

"Koori," he whispered. She remained still. "Koori, sweetheart, you must breathe."

She blinked at the strange word. He had never called her a _sweetheart_ before. She took in a deep breath to replenish her lungs but she remained still. Her eyes dropped the tears that had formed and she wiped them away quickly. Her feet started to move and she continued to walk to the Harem Wing. Zhao followed closely because she was walking in an odd trance. Her bare feet were skidding across the floor clumsily until she reached her room. She turned the knob and slammed the door behind her, she flung herself onto her bed and her back started to heave uncontrollably. Zhao watched from the side of the room.

Koori cried until she wore herself out. She fell asleep for a couple of minutes before somebody started to pound on all of the doors in the Harem Wing.

The Head Mistress's voice rang out behind the wooden door and Koori sat up to inspect the dilemma. Koori rubbed her face until she thought she was presentable and then exited her room. Zhao walked through the wall to follow her. Other concubines were groggily walking out of their bedrooms.

The Head Mistress stood before everybody and smiled. "The Fire Lord is presenting us all with an extravagant vacation!" she screamed. The girls looked at each other, confused—this had obviously never happened before. "We are headed to Ember Island for the week."

Faces lit up quickly and Koori's face joined them. Akira would remain at the palace with the Fire Lord and she would be nowhere near him for the next week. Zhao's face, however, remained passive.

"Ozai needs their full attention, then," he whispered. Koori ears perked and her smile disappeared at the thought of war plans.

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><p><strong>I have started to edit and revamp my Concubine trilogy. I will post the complete story (with no chapter breaks or speration) for your pure enjoyment once I am finished with this story. I am adding things and taking other things away to make Koori a little more believable because I feel like I made her into a Mary Sue at the begining. I want to do this for everybody (even myself) because I want to take this story with me everywhere. By doing this, I think that it would be easy for you guysgirls to copy and paste it into your iPo(a)ds or e-readers (like I have done with my first two stories).**

**Well, about the story! Koori will be facing some torment from Akira. It will be disgusting, I promise you that. So, tell me what you think about the chapter and don't worry, "The Beach" is next!**


	13. The Beach

**This chapter contains a pretty interesting Zhao. I have officially decided that after this chapter (which is the reason why I wanted to make him like this) he will return to his "no self control" Admiral self. Enjoy.**

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><p>The boat slid against the ocean water calmly but Koori could not feel the relaxing shifts that she was used to. Zhao sat beside her. He was trying to get comfortable on the cold steel floor that Koori had decided to sit on. It seemed odd to watch a spirit try to get comfortable when in any other circumstance, he or she could travel through walls and jump large staircases without a second thought.<p>

"Why are we out here?" he asked. He finally sat still and relaxed his back against the steel wall behind him.

Koori stared into the water. She wanted it to do something—to talk and tell her what to do. She sighed and returned her soft gaze to her previous master. "I cannot sit with the rest of the concubines. They do not appreciate my company; I can feel it."

Zhao snorted and three concubines walked by. They turned their heads away from their youngest and newest member to snicker violently at the ocean. Zhao stuck his tongue out and Koori held back a small giggle.

"I cannot wait until we kill her," one concubine said.

Koori paused and held her breath to listen closely to their discussion, but she could not hear any more of their chirping whispers. Zhao stood and chased after them, leaving Koori sitting on the deck of the boat. She continued to stare desperately into the water until an odd wave traveled in front of the boat. She turned her head right to follow the odd wave. It stopped when it reached the boat in front of the one she was traveling on—the boat filled with the Fire Prince, Princess and their friends.

"No," Koori whispered. "I refuse."

She did not know what she was refusing to, but she knew that it had to do with Zuko.

Koori stood and walked into the lone room that held all of the concubines. Zhao was sitting between two women. He had himself perfectly positioned so that he could look down their kimonos. A sneaky smile was splayed across his sly lips.

The youngest concubine sat in the corner of the room and listened to the conversations but a man singing caught her attention. She looked up to see Zhao's reddening face—he was taking sips of the concubines' drinks. How he was doing this, Koori didn't know, but she heard his loud, obnoxious voice sing, "Oh, I loooove the per-ity women, the women, the women; oh, I love the per-ity women, how happy could I beeee!"

He fell into the lap of one of his neighboring women and she screamed from the sudden intense cold that overwhelmed her. Koori sat still, dumbstruck. She would have to talk to him when he sobered.

Another man entered the room. "We have arrived at Ember Island, ladies," he shouted.

The women screamed and exited the room quicker than chicken-cows. Koori watched Zhao's shaky legs stand and then strut out of the room. He hiccupped at the doorway and fell down the stairs, face-first onto the wooden dock. Koori walked through him and immediately saw the Fire Prince holding the hand of a girl with long black hair. Li and Lo stood at the base of the pier to welcome the young royalty. Koori let out a small growl. She turned her head away from them and followed the other concubines to a mansion.

The young man showed the ladies to an exquisite building. Koori looked the large house over; it was decaying and she could not imagine living comfortably in it for a full week. Although it was in a state of disrepair, the architecture was amazing. The house was a familiar Fire Nation style, but the entranceway was odd. The corners of the front door held the symbols of the four nations. They were even in the correct spiritual cycle. They walked into the house and the concubines ran for the best rooms. Koori waited until the screaming and the fights stopped. She walked past the occupied rooms and found a small, cozy room far away from the other ladies.

The room was no bigger than the one she had occupied for a couple of days while on Zhao's ship headed to the Northern Water Tribe. A bed sat by a closed window on the far side of the room, a brown, dirty rug had been laid on the floor to protect the decaying wood and a small, wooden piece of furniture served as both a dresser and a night table.

She sat down on the dusty bed and rubbed her soft, manicured hand across the greying sheets. "Out of all the pretty rooms in this place you pick the slaves' quarters?" A concubine had paused in the doorway and she stuck out her tongue and then skipped back up the hall.

Koori collapsed onto the dusty bed. She stupidly took a deep breath in and coughed. She paused when she heard Zhao's chains rattle. He walked in, hiccupped and fell onto the floor, face-first. "Did you—hiccup—know that you can get drunk really, really fast as a spirit?" he asked.

Koori rolled her eyes, grabbed the bedspread, shook it out onto the dirty carpet and left the room. She passed men carrying suitcases as she sauntered down the damp, browning hallway. They sat the suitcases down in the middle of the front room. Koori looked for hers, pointed, and a man grabbed it and followed her back to her room. He paused when he went in, looked at the other rooms and made a face.

"Are you sure that you want this room?" he asked.

Koori nodded and he sat the suitcase down on Zhao's head and left. The young girl opened the box, riffled through the meager possessions that she had packed and noticed that somebody had gone through her things and packed more. Lovely kimonos, swimming suits, jewelry, makeup and other accessories filled the box and she stopped when she found a note at the bottom. She took it out of the envelope as Zhao pulled his head out of the suitcase.

"I noticed that you packed a little too lightly. Signed, Fire Lord Ozai," Koori read.

"I am really starting to hate that man," Zhao gurgled.

Koori took out a swimming suit, held it up to herself and closed the door that connected her little room to the hallway. She locked the door for good measure and started to peel off the kimono that she was wearing. Zhao watched and a cruel smile formed on his lips. She pulled on the bikini and looked to the drunken spirit for approval. He put up his thumbs and fell back onto the floor.

"Come on, Master," Koori prodded. "I will be bored on the beach by myself."

Zhao opened his eyes groggily and stood. Koori put a cover-up on, grabbed a matching red beach towel and opened her window. She looked down, sneered at the height and jumped out hesitantly. She landed on her feet and fingertips. Zhao had walked through the walls and stood beside his concubine. They walked across the sand slowly until Koori could see the tide pulling in and out.

Koori ran to the ocean and threw off her shoes, towel and cover-up. She jumped into the water and splashed around. She smiled when Zhao joined her. Koori wadded closer to the beach when she got tired. She sat on the moist sand and laughed as the water pushed and pulled at her as the tide rose and fell.

"I have never played in the ocean before, Master," Koori said with a large smile.

Zhao could only nod and frown. His attention was to the other near naked women on the beach.

Koori paused when she heard a commotion. Three girls and Zuko strutted onto the beach—they sat up their towels and umbrella at a nice spot, but far away from the young concubine. She put her hand above her brow to block the glare from the sun. Boys swarmed around the girl in white. The girl in the red bikini—the princess—glared at the crowd. Zuko and a girl dressed entirely in red and black sat under the umbrella. Koori smiled at his girlfriend; she dressed like she was going to the North Pole. She must have been hot in that wintery getup.

Zhao looked over at the royal crowd. It looked as if no one at the beach knew that the prince and princess of their Nation was occupying the same sand that they were. He grinned as the prince dropped ice cream on his girlfriend. Koori stood, grabbed some of her things and made her way closer to the royalty. Zhao stood, stared at Koori's milky back and blinked. He smirked once he noticed his red, burning handprint on her back. Koori had stopped walking and turned around to glare at her drunken master. He shrugged and the burn disappeared.

"Mine," he muttered.

Zuko turned his head to face the young girl in her pink and gold bikini. Her form was familiar and when she turned her head for a second, he saw that it was Koori. He gulped and Mai noticed.

"Do you know her?" Mai asked hesitantly.

Zuko shook his head, but his body responded differently. His hands started to shake and get clammy against Mai's skin and she pushed his wet skin away from her. A grotesque sneer filled her face as she watched the young girl jump into the water.

Mai turned her attention to Azula. The young princess was watching a game of volleyball and instantly, the Fire Princess called her three companions to her and took part in a game. Zuko stood and a flock of turtle-doves reared and flew into the sky at the sudden movement. Mai stood hesitantly and Ty Lee walked toward the Fire Princess on her hands.

Koori looked over at the crowd that was gathering. She was mildly intrigued at the game the royal party was playing. Two boys, one tan with brown hair and one—a typical Fire Nation white male—with black hair seemed more intrigued in the girls that were playing than the game. The tan one turned to Koori who was in the process of putting her cover-up on. He smiled at her.

"Do you want to come to a party tonight?" he asked.

Zhao sprinted over to Koori, threw himself upon the young boy and screamed, "No, no, no!"

Koori nodded. "Sure," she whispered.

He nodded and muttered, "It starts at dusk—don't miss it." He winked at her and she blushed. He turned and both boys walked off to get a better view of the girls.

"I wouldn't go if I were you, Koori," Zhao sneered.

Koori kept her answer to herself because of the crowd that had gathered. The game ended after twenty minutes of play. The net was on fire and the Fire Princess stood before the flames, her eyes wicked and her frame hunched over. She was laughing maniacally.

Koori's curious gaze held concern as she watched the crazy girl. She looked to her right as a pair of shadows caught her gaze. Li and Lo stood before her. They smiled and ushered her away from the beach. Koori followed.

"Have you spent many hours converting the prince?" they asked.

Koori shook her head. "I am sorry, but I have not been able to do that."

Li and Lo both nodded their heads. "We will need your assistance when we return to the palace," Li whispered.

"Of course, Lady Lo and Lady Li."

"Do not follow us any further, Koori. We do not wish to look suspicious."

Koori looked at a plant and walked away from the women to inspect it. She could hear Zhao's chains rattle violently to get her attention and Koori turned to face him. "Don't you need to get ready for that ridiculous party?" he asked.

Koori nodded and grabbed her possessions. She ran down the beachfront and toward the decaying mansion that her and her fellow concubines were occupying. She paused when she saw the door, looked right and found her window. She scurried up a tree and jumped into her room, onto her bed.

Zhao simply walked through the wall to get into her second-story bedroom. He hiccupped, but he was sobering. The young concubine laughed at him when he grabbed his head and fell to the floor on his knees. Koori's fingers found some red fabric and she pulled. A gorgeous red kimono was soon pressed against her frame. She pulled off her swimming suit and found a robe. She rushed down the hall and into a bathroom.

She locked the door and drew the water for the tub. Sludge poured out of the tap. Water shot out next. It came out cold—there was no other selection. Koori put her hand in, warmed it and stepped into the crystal pool of water when it was full. She bathed quickly and drained the liquid. She dried off, threw on her robe and exited the steamy room.

"I cannot believe that they would send us out here without servants," a concubine muttered. "I cannot live without my daily massage and manicure!"

"Neither can I," her partner stuttered.

Koori scoffed at them and continued to walk to her room. She locked the door and peeled off her robe. Zhao had his eyes closed—he seemed to be asleep. The young concubine pulled on her crimson kimono, combed her hair, put on a little lipstick and looked herself over. She tied her hair back and nodded in approval at herself.

She jumped out her window once more and brushed herself off. She started her short jaunt to the party with thoughts of the old Zuko on her mind.

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><p><strong>The party and something really interesting will happen next. I promise!<strong>


	14. The Kiss and the Truth

**You are going to hate me for this, but it is very necessary. Enjoy and I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

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><p>Koori walked through the soft, cold sand. She wiggled her toes as she strolled to get rid of the sand in between her toes. A beautiful candlelight filled a mansion and Koori stared in awe. She smiled when she saw the people on the balcony—she had made it to the right house. She walked to the front of the mansion and made her way up the stairs. She knocked on the door and the tan boy opened it. He grinned at her.<p>

"You're a little overdressed," he said with a slight smirk.

Koori looked down at the kimono she was wearing and then peered in the door. Most of the other guests were wearing casual dresses and some were evening wearing their swimming suit cover-ups. She looked at the boy and he opened the door wider. "I can change?" she said. "And perhaps return later?"

He shook his head. "That's not necessary," he whispered as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He led her in and the first face that she saw was Zuko's. She blushed; she didn't know if her blood was warming at the sight of Zuko or at the proximity of the stranger beside her. "So, here's the low-down," he said as he leaned against the table in the middle of the room that held food. "You see, my dad is an Admiral in the Fire Nation's Navy and he doesn't know that I'm throwing this party. So, don't break anything." He pointed a threatening finger in Koori's direction and he walked off, leaving the young concubine with a poor threat.

Koori pushed some hair fragments behind her ear. She stared at the crowd and found Zuko, his girlfriend, the Fire Princess and the acrobatic girl. Zuko and his girlfriend seemed tense and the acrobat was fighting off some boys. Koori walked to the side of the room to watch the fiasco. She had not planned on talking to anybody, she just wanted to view how her generation acted.

Suddenly, a loud crash resonated across the room and Koori's attention was pulled to a young man pulling himself off of a broken vase.

"What's your problem?" Zuko's girlfriend asked.

At that remark, Koori ran out of the house before anybody could notice. She sprinted down the stairs, fell at the base and ran across a sandy mountain. She sat herself at the top and looked down onto the house that she had just run away from. Zuko sprinted out, jumped the stairs and landed on his feet safely on the sand. He started to climb the mountain of sand that Koori had decided to sit on and she remained where she was.

She pulled a flower from a nearby rock; she smelled it and hummed a sweet love song that General Iroh used to sing while he made tea. Zuko was cursing as he passed her.

She hummed louder; she didn't know why, but she had been craving the young prince's attention. He stopped at the familiar tune and turned his head.

"Koori?" he asked.

She turned to look at him and smiled. He smiled back but it disappeared as quickly as it came. He sat beside her but huffed out a frustrating sigh.

"I saw you back there," Koori whispered.

He turned his head. "She doesn't understand," Zuko muttered. "Everything that I do for her doesn't matter. She says that she loves me, but I oftentimes wonder if she has any feelings at all."

"Do you love her?" Koori's voice was small and she wasn't looking at the Fire Prince. The flower between her fingers held her gaze. The red, orange and purple blossom in her hand was a variation of a fire lily.

His throat dried instantly. "I don't know. I think that I do."

Koori closed her eyes and looked at him. She dropped the flower and moved her hands so she could stand quickly. "Perhaps I should go. She will probably come looking for you."

Koori stood from the sandy mountain but Zuko followed her. He caught her hand. "You look nice," he said.

The young girl looked down at the kimono. "It's a gift from your father," she muttered.

Zuko hissed and fire escaped his hands. Koori winced when the flame caught her wrist. She drew back, placed her hand over the burn and it healed. Zuko never noticed. In fact, he grabbed the burn and drew her closer.

Koori flinched as his face drew closer to her own. She could feel his warm breath on her shoulders. She froze when he cupped her left shoulder; he pulled her even closer. He closed his eyes as he neared. Finally, their lips met and in that precious moment, they could feel electricity surge through their bodies. Koori woke from her trance, tore their lips apart, and punched him in the face.

He took two stops back to recover from the blow—his face was filled with confusion and desperation. Was he to be rejected two times in a single evening?

Koori's eyes filled with tears as she looked up at the boy who betrayed her. Newfound anger awoke inside her soul. Zuko took a step toward her, but she backed away. She rubbed his burning saliva off of her lips.

"Why would you do that?" she asked. She dabbed at her golden eyes with the back of her sleeve. "Have I given you any impression that I wanted—or needed—your affection?"

Zuko couldn't think. Had he misread her signals?

"Koori—" he stuttered, "I thought—"

"You thought wrong, Prince Zuko," Koori snapped. She glared at him and took another step away from the Fire Prince.

"But, Koori—" he began again.

Once more, the young concubine cut him off. "Prince Zuko, I am sorry if I have misled you, but to be truthful," she paused to take in a deep breath, "I cannot stand your company. You betrayed me, Your Majesty.

"I thought that we had something in Ba Sing Se, but that was all a lie. You brought me to the Fire Nation! Everybody wishes to kill me here. Can you imagine what it feels like to be despised wherever you go?"

She looked deeply into Zuko's golden irises and more tears filled the empty holes in her eyes. They fell out and were quickly replaced. "I had to become a concubine again, Prince Zuko," she choked out his name between her sobs, "Prince Zuko, I had to have sex with a man who has wanted to kill me since I was an infant. Every night, I am promised to a man—and sometimes, I may never know who he is. Imagine how I feel, Prince Zuko. You stole me from my home, my family and my happiness. I _hate_ you."

She turned away from him and sprinted down onto the beachfront. She continued to run to her decaying room. Zuko watched the girl run as anger boiled inside him. Fire flew in every direction as he bolted toward a house filled with happy memories.

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><p><strong>Ahh! How could I let this happen?! Please review and tell me what you think. Even if you hate me, please tell me. :)<strong>


	15. Forgive Me

**So today I realized that I have not updated in forever! So, with the impending holidays, I have decided to update with an extra special long chapter filled with all different viewpoints! Have fun reading!**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Only Koori, who is starting to become more of a crybaby than I ever anticipated...**

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><p>Koori slammed the window to her room closed and she threw herself onto her bed. The force caused two of the windowpanes to crack. The sound woke Zhao up instantly. While she sobbed, Zhao watched intently. Something had gone wrong, horribly, utterly wrong. He stood from his hunched-over position and walked over to the dusty bed. He sat down beside his geisha. He went to put his hand on her back but he paused mere centimeters above her exposed skin when he realized that he could not touch her. His hand returned to his lap and he pushed himself further onto the bed so his back rested against the wall behind him.<p>

"I think that I have been too soft on you," he whispered.

Koori stopped her mindless sniffling and looked at the transparent figure. She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and dabbed at her eyes with the edges of her kimono. She looked directly into Zhao's eyes when she had cleaned herself up. Something in those transparent brown pupils had changed and it frightened her. "Master?" she whimpered.

He looked away from her and stood off of the bed. He put his hands behind his back and seemed to stand straight up, like his old Admiral self. Koori rolled herself over to watch him. He looked intimidating. He looked over himself and cringed at his peasant outfit. He pulled at his clothes until they were tight against his invisible skin and wrinkle free. Koori sat upright on the bed, intently watching him, hoping that the master she needed would reemerge. Zhao cleared his throat and then returned to his Admiral-like position. Koori's tears disappeared when his face regained the wrinkles that stress in life gave him.

"I have been too soft on you these past couple of weeks. I knew that I should have regained my firmness on you from the beginning," Zhao stated.

Koori rubbed her eyes one last time. "Then why didn't you?" she questioned. Her eyes were searching his own. She watched him kneel on the floor and cup her knee delicately. For a second, she could feel warmth from his touch, but it disappeared quickly.

"I was told to wait until you needed me. I cannot wait any longer. We need to come up with a plan."

Zhao stood quickly and motioned for Koori to follow him. He walked to the window and jumped through the glass. Koori stared behind the cracked window panes and watched him saunter toward the rising tide. She jumped out after him and ran to catch up to his invisible form. They walked across the wet sand, toward a mansion without firelight in its windows. The mansion looked eerie and familiar. Strangely, it looked like a grander version of the mansion that the concubines were occupying, but the young healer knew that it was a much more interesting building. It had to be the summer home for a very important family.

Zhao seemed to hear her thoughts. "It belongs to the royal family," he whispered. "Nobody will hear us or see us from up there."

They walked silently into the night, toward the royal family's deserted mansion. Zhao stopped when he reached the stairs. He looked up and hissed. "Why in Agni is he there?" he asked.

Koori looked up and found Zuko. He was staring intently at an old piece of pottery. He looked lost, scorned, and helpless. For a fleeting moment, Koori felt sorry for him. She took in a deep breath and remembered that he kissed her and anger refilled her heart.

"Somebody's coming," Zhao screamed. He looked to Koori frantically and pointed to a large patch of wild panda lilies growing on a hill. If Koori laid down in them, their beautiful buds were sure to hide her frail figure. She jumped into the flower patch and stopped moving. When she opened her eyes, she saw the Princess scaling the stairs. Koori stopped breathing when the Fire Princess stopped to look at the flowers. She hissed, said something to herself and then continued up the stairs. When the princess was out of earshot, Koori looked at Zhao.

"Oh yes, Master, nobody will see us up at the Royal Family's mansion."

Zhao smirked at her sarcasm and watched the prince and princess walk down the stairs and into the sandy pathways that littered the beach. Zhao stood from the flowers and Koori followed him. She sprinted up the stairs and walked through the kicked-in door. She shuddered once she saw a picture of the Fire Lord and his family.

Zhao rushed through the hallways. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. Koori followed him diligently until he stopped short and the she walked straight through him. Koori winced and shuddered as her skin passed through his translucent body. "We're here."

Koori turned to face him. "Where are we?" she asked, squinting into the darkness. Zhao seemed to smile at her inability to see what was directly in front of her.

"Why don't you use what Agni has blessed you with?"

It took Koori and moment to realize what he meant. She lit up her hand with a small fire and stared at the beautiful stone courtyard. She looked to the sides of the stone pillars and found a torch. She lit the wadded up cloth and Zhao looked as if her were about to murder her. "Are you crazy? Put it out! We don't want to be seen. Useless fire will do us no good! It will only bring somebody up here to check up on us!" Koori reacted quickly and put out the torch. Zhao calmed down, but only a little.

"Why are we here?" Koori asked hesitantly as she walked blindly toward the giant stone sculpture in the middle of the courtyard.

Zhao followed her in the darkness. He lit up the stones with the light that he gave off. Koori found herself getting closer to the cold form. She needed the light that he gave off. Zhao narrowed the gap between their faces. He breathed, but no air escaped his mouth. Koori's painted lips lingered centimeters away from his own tough lips and she felt the sudden urge to close the gap entirely. She wanted to feel his coarse fingers around her body, holding her tight. She wanted the deep, lust-filled kisses and the steamy moments of pure passion that they sometimes shared. Most of all, she wanted to feel his warm breath on her skin while she slept silently next to him. The feelings disappeared quickly when Zhao's eyes pierced her own.

"We needed a place where we could talk freely. That whorehouse," Koori flinched, "holds no friends for you. If somebody were to overhear us, it could bring you a one-way boat ride to meet Agni."

"What are we going to talk about?"

"Everything," Zhao smirked. "It's about time that I get you caught up on a couple of things."

!

Aang wandered around the streets of the Fire Nation. He had attended school, met most of the miserable Fire Nation inhabitants and thought of so many things. He saw a poster of Jeong Jeong and closed his eyes. The school uniform that he wore started to gather a rusty colored dust on the shoulder pads and he continued to walk around the pillar that held various posters. He smiled when he came across a poster of himself, but upon further inspection, he noticed that a red sticker covered his description. The symbols on the sticker angered him. "Dead," he read aloud. He looked over a few more faces and one stuck out to him. He pulled the poster off of the wall and inspected it closely. A sticker covered the description on this poster as well. "Captured," he whispered.

He stared desperately at the picture of the Fire Nation girl. He had met her a few times but barely held a conversation with her. Her name popped into her head. _Koori_. He folded up the paper and stuck it into his breast pocket. He would meet her again someday; he would make sure of it.

!

"I want to know why Zuko hired that man," Koori whispered. Zhao had sat down on a rock that overlooked the beach. There was a small fire burning below them. The Fire Prince, Princess, and their friends were around the fire, bickering.

Zhao closed his eyes. "I followed Zuko into the throne room. Fire Lord Ozai was told that Zuko had killed the Avatar. I can only assume that he wants to make sure that the Avatar is dead. That waterbending wench had that water from the spirit oasis, remember?"

Koori nodded and puzzle pieces in her head started to click together. "Azula's planning the whole thing. She knows that Aang is alive. She wants to make sure that it doesn't fall back on her." Koori's face paled as this information soared into her head. Zuko was trying to tie up any loose ends.

Flames roared up in front of them and Koori's eyes lit up. "The Avatar is still alive," Zhao spat out.

Koori smiled. "Then there is still hope."

"What about the _day of black sun_? The Fire Nation knows all about it."

Koori thought. "The palace must have a messenger hawk tower. We could send them a message," Koori whispered.

"Yes, but the hunter that Zuko hired would probably intercept any message that we would send them."

Koori frowned. "Then we will just have to send a lot of messages in hopes that one will get to them."

"And Akira?"

Koori shivered. "I do not know what to do with him. He cannot touch me while Prince Zuko is around."

"You have destroyed that, haven't you?"

Koori remembered Zuko's kiss. His warm lips had smashed against her own. She remembered the passion that had floored itself through her body and she blushed. "I have to go back to him. I must beg for his forgiveness. He is all that I have."

Zhao snorted. "I guess that I am just a piece of spoiled fish, then."

Koori rolled her eyes and pushed herself closer to Zhao. "Master, I meant that he is the only tangible person that I have left." Koori looked down to the dead fire below them. Prince Zuko and his company had disappeared. Koori sighed. There was passion in the kiss that Zuko and Koori had shared, but what she had said after the kiss and the tears that she shed left a horrifying mark on her soul. It was true, a little part of her despised the prince because of his choices. She wished that Zuko could go back to the way that he was in Ba Sing Se. What had happened to the beautiful young man who had started to know the difference between good and evil? She thought that she had started to feel something for him, but the man that he became had hurt her.

"Koori?" a small voice asked.

Koori froze at the sound of the prince's voice. She turned her head slightly to look at him. He looked miserable and confused. Koori stood and faced him fully. She felt the need to reach out and touch him. She wanted to feel somebody's warm skin against her own.

"We will continue our talk later, then," Zhao whispered.

"Prince Zuko," she whispered. Zuko could barely hear her voice and he forced a frail smile. Koori stepped closer to the prince and all thoughts of Zhao disappeared. He watched from the stone he was sitting at. He viewed Koori sprint over to Zuko and throw herself into his arms. Zhao smiled, he knew what she was doing. He had raised his slave properly. She would attach herself as much as she could to the Fire Prince because Zuko was her hope of survival in the Fire Nation.

"I'm sorry," Koori cried into Zuko's shirt. "I'm sorry."

Zuko's hands wound around her waist and he smelled her skin. Koori's tears started to seep through his silk shirt. "I'm sorry too," he whispered.

Koori pulled her face out of Zuko's chest and pulled his face down. She kissed him deeply and they stood still while electricity surged through them both.

Zhao watched with a cruel smile spread across his lips. This would be an interesting few weeks, he mused.

Koori broke the kiss and Zuko stared, confused. "I'm sorry for saying those awful things, Prince Zuko. Please forgive me."

Zuko held her away from himself at arm's length. He needed some time to think about everything that had just happened. He lit up his hand and gestured for Koori to follow him. Koori wrapped her arm around his own and he travelled the hallways expertly, searching for his old apartments. He found the door and jiggled the lock until the door screeched open. Koori let Zuko's arm go as he moved around his old room quickly. He was pulling out old clothes, blankets, pillows and anything that he could find. Koori watched him curiously.

Zuko looked up at her. "We are going to sleep here tonight, if that is okay with you."

Koori nodded vigorously and she lit a small candle that had been forgotten on the bedside table. Zuko threw sheets across the large queen-sized bed and Koori helped to make his bed. After the sheets were secured on the mattress, Zuko threw various pillows onto the crimson sheets. He climbed into the bed and Koori hesitantly followed.

The young concubine could see Zhao's hard eyes watching them. Koori glared at him and he disappeared, but he didn't go far.

Zuko pulled Koori as close to him as he could. He wanted her ebony hair in his face and to feel her cold skin against his own. Koori turned her body to face him. She kissed him lightly on his warm neck. Zuko smiled.

The Fire Prince closed his eyes and a warm, steamy breath escaped his pale lips. Koori looked up at him. "You and Mai—"

"We are back together."

Koori pulled herself away from him. "What I said…" Koori bit her lip. She was about to lie and she had never been too good at lying. "I didn't mean it. I don't hate you, Prince Zuko."

Zuko nodded. "I have a couple of questions, Koori," Zuko sighed. He was remembering her rant. The words had stained his pride. Koori looked at him; her face had turned a deadly color of white. "Concubine," he whispered. Koori dropped her head to stare at the crimson sheets below her. She shuddered and Zuko noticed. "Is that what you were?"

Koori nodded. Zuko watched her slow movements. "He made me start when I was thirteen." Her voice was barely audible, but Zuko was listening carefully. "It was only with Zhao. He kept me for himself." Koori stood from the bed and walked toward the pile of clothes, pillows and blankets that Zuko had left piled on the ground. She stared at the mess and was reminded of the Fire Lord's closet where they had made an intricate nest. "After he died and when the Water Tribe dropped me off in the Earth Kingdom, I met the slave traders." Zuko sat upright.

"You don't have to continue," he whispered. "I'm sorry for all that has happened to you."

Koori wiped away the tears that never left her eyes. "You didn't do anything. You helped me, for the most part. Until—"

"Let's not talk about that."

Koori looked at him. He had left the bed and crossed the room in a couple of quick strides. He picked Koori up easily; she was so light. He placed her onto the bed and sat beside her. His hand cupped the side of her face and he kissed her. The spark reemerged. Koori's heartbeat quickened when his hand slid up her forearm. Electricity surged through their skin. Koori broke the kiss and looked at him. She was breathless.

"Prince Zuko, I can't do this," she whimpered. She wanted to; she had never felt such a divine passion before. "You and Mai; you are a couple. It would not feel right."

Zuko moved until his body overlapped Koori's. "Mai and I aren't meant to last," he whispered. "I will have to leave her eventually."

Suddenly, Koori's brain stopped working. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She built up the courage to ask, "Why?"

Zuko put one hand behind his head to hold his head above her neck. The other hand was tracing the outline of the gold lining on Koori's silk kimono. Zuko's bad eye was facing her and she touched the scar. His eyes closed slowly. "When I was a boy, I had a dream that I would obtain the throne. This dream is not so unusual, I have had many like these," Zuko felt Koori's timid hand grasp the black locks of hair that hung loosely around his ears. "I was always sitting on the throne, staring at the flames around me. When I would look past the flames, I would never see my family, my sister's friends, or any slaves. I was always alone. When I saw you that day, as the Blue Spirit, those dreams started to contain you. You would be sitting behind the flames beside me, where my wife was supposed to be."

Koori had stopped breathing. She had had a dream similar to that a long time ago, but she had been Zuko's concubine, not his wife. She shook her head. "No, Zuko, that cannot be right. I can't be your spouse. I'm a slave. You have to marry a woman of significance." She placed her hands on both sides of his face. "You must stay with Mai. She is the one you have to marry."

Zuko kissed her. Koori opened her mouth and rubbed her tongue against his lips. She wanted him; she needed him. He opened his lips and accepted her tongue. Zuko moaned and heat pulsated through him. Koori's hands slowly found Zuko's sash and she untied it. His sleeveless silk shirt quickly slid off of his muscled back and he untied her kimono. Koori pulled off her kimono and threw it off of the bed. Zuko paused to examine the tube top that covered her breasts. He stopped and rolled off of her.

"You're right. We can't do this," he muttered. "Not here, not now."

Koori crawled over to him. Zuko could see her cleavage and he struggled to control his thoughts. She wrapped her arms around Zuko's shoulders. "Perhaps we could just sleep?"

Zuko turned his head and nodded. He pushed himself back down onto the bed and Koori wiggled her barely-clothed body around him. She nuzzled her head into the void between his arm and chest. Zuko wrapped his arm around her. He looked into the empty ceiling as Koori put out the candle that she had lit earlier. Zuko closed his eyes as he pulled a sheet over the both of them. Koori placed her hand on his chest and closed her eyes. She could smell the salt from the ocean and for a moment, she could feel the sway of the ocean, like when she was on a ship.

Koori and Zuko fell asleep peacefully as Zhao watched. Anger boiled inside of himself. He wanted to kill something. Koori was _his_ slave, _his_ woman. Zhao grumbled as he paced the room. As a spirit, sleep never came easy. He would sleep for minutes at a time and think that it was hours. Death would last an eternity, he thought.

Slowly, Koori moved in her sleep and Zhao's eyes averted themselves to watch her. He went to kick a nearby couch, but his foot went through the black cherry wood. He grumbled and walked to the window. He walked through it and out onto a balcony. He stared at the moon. What was her name?

"Yue," he whispered.

The moon grew bright and a light found Zhao. He watched as the woman that replaced the Moon Spirit descended upon him. Zhao stumbled backward and landed stiffly on his backside. He hissed as Yue dangled inches above the ground. Her beautiful white gown cascaded around her spiritual form with her long, white hair. Bangles from the Ocean Spirit clinked loudly as the wind moved. Zhao was in awe.

"You are not helping as we thought you would," Yue said. Her voice held no emotion and she was staring at Zhao coldly in the eyes. She hated the man before her. He had murdered the Moon Spirit and she had to give her life for the spiritual balance of the earth. "You need to come with us."

Zhao was yanked skyward with the Moon Spirit. The force of the sudden movement caused him to stop breathing, close his eyes, and become momentarily unconscious. When Zhao opened his eyes unhappy spirits were staring at him.

The Ocean Spirit was the first to speak. "You are not doing your job. I did not send you to her aid for my own amusement!"

Zhao quivered and his chains grew heavier as the spirits grew angrier. "I'm doing the best that I can to make her look sane and to keep her alive."

The Wind Spirit scoffed. "Well, you certainly weren't protecting her sanity or her body when she was attacked in the Earth Kingdom or when she was raped on her way to the Fire Nation."

Zhao winced. "She couldn't see me then. Maybe if _somebody_ had told her that I was following her, she would have paid a little more attention."

"We are not here to play the blame game!" the Ocean Spirit screamed. His eyes softened when he found Yue's worried figure. "She needs to get out of the Fire Nation. Iroh ordered the White Lotus to convene on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. She needs to go there. That has to be our top priority. Do you understand, Zhao?"

Zhao nodded. "How is she to get there?" he asked.

The Earth Spirit looked hesitantly to his comrades. "The inevitable will happen shortly."

With that, Zhao was thrust back to the earth. He landed in the exact same position that he left in. He grumbled something to himself and looked back through the window, where Koori was watching.

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><p><strong>Tell me what you think with a nice review. I will be updating within the next couple of days if you do! My new goal is to finish this story by the start of next semester! <strong>

**Have a great day!**


	16. The Dance

**Wow! I have not updated in FOREVER! As such, I am awarding you with TWO very long chapters.**

**My new goal is to complete this story by the the start of next semester. I spent all day yesterday writting and I have two long chapters to show for it. Of course, I wrote chapter 17 BEFORE I wrote chapter 16 because chapter 17 was just soooo much fun to write. Well, this is the chapter that leads up to the more fun one, which will be posted momentarily.**

* * *

><p>Zhao stared back at her and shook his head. He flew away and Koori watched, helplessly. She wanted to call out to him, beg him to remain by her side, but she would wake Zuko up with her pleads. She whimpered; he would be back, she mused. He would be by her side for as long as she would live.<p>

Koori turned to Zuko's bed. He was sleeping peacefully. The young healer grabbed her clothes and quickly dressed. She did not want to spend another moment in the same room with the Fire Prince. She looked at him once last time, sighed and walked out of his room. She carefully navigated the hallways and found the exit to the small palace. She walked down the massive staircase slowly, fearful that she may catch the attention of the royal guard or a commoner.

"Who are you?" a shrill voice asked.

Koori turned her attention to the pale woman to her left. She had been walking up the stairs and her dark clothes seemed to hide her from the night. "Excuse me?" Koori asked. She had been taken aback by the young woman.

"So you're the girl that Azula told me about," the woman croaked out. The tone of her voice made her sound hurt and rejected. "You've been spending too much time with my boyfriend. I don't like it."

Koori squinted in the dark. She could barely see the girl in front of her. Suddenly, she saw something glint in the moonlight. A knife was drawn and Koori found herself on the ground with the woman pressed against her. "What are you—" Koori struggled to say as the knife pressed close against her throat.

"Leave him alone. You're tearing us apart," the girl stuttered. She pulled her face close to the young firebender and Koori could clearly see the face of Zuko's girlfriend.

"Yes, Lady Mai," Koori struggled to say.

"Good," Mai whispered. She got off of Koori and continued up the stairs. Mai turned back around and watched Koori hastily stand. "Where is Zuko?" she asked timidly.

Koori looked back at the enraged Lady. "He is sleeping in his old bedroom." Koori brushed herself off and noticed that Mai hadn't moved. She looked back up to Zuko's girlfriend.

"Did you…" Mai struggled to say.

Koori squinted and she could see Mai turn her head and blush with embarrassment. Koori caught on to Mai's suggestion. She wanted to know if they had just slept together. "No. Never, Lady Mai," Koori whispered.

Mai's head turned once more. She nodded at the concubine and walked up a couple of steps. Mai quickly turned back around to watch the girl who still had yet to move. Koori's head was down and she was staring at the next step, waiting for another question. She knew that more would come.

"What do you do together, then?" Mai asked.

Koori looked up, gave a small smile, and whispered, "He likes to talk, Lady Mai." Koori's feet moved under her and she quickly descended the stairs. She didn't want to turn and look at the young Lady who was now entering the Royal Family's mansion. When Koori's feet hit the warm sand, she relaxed and continued to walk to the mansion that was holding the Fire Nation's Royal Harem.

She stopped at the disintegrating doorway of the mansion she was to stay in. She looked up at the empty windows and glared at them. She continued around the side of the mansion until she found her window. She climbed the tree to the side of it and managed to jump through the window without looking down. She landed ungracefully on the floor and pulled her body off of the dirty carpet. She took off her clothes and pulled on a silk nightgown. She shuddered and closed the window and pulled the blinds. She wanted to sit in the darkness and clear her mind.

!

Mai opened the door to Zuko's room and entered quickly and silently. She had spent most of her years trying to impress her mother and father with her peculiar skills. She crept slowly through his room and inspected it in the dark. A large pile of sheets, clothes and all sorts of mismatched fabric was clumped in the middle of the floor, behind a large couch. Zuko moved in his sleep and she walked toward him.

He sat up groggily, felt the empty sheets around him and then rubbed his eyes. "Koori, what are you doing?" he asked the darkness.

"She left, Zuko," Mai barked.

Zuko stiffened at the sound of Mai's voice. He cleared his throat. "Mai?" he asked.

"Who else would it be, you big jerk?"

"Mai, what are you doing here?" he asked slowly.

"I was following my boyfriend after we had just made up after a fight. I wanted to see if you wanted to spend some time with me tonight. I guess that you had other plans, though." Mai walked up to him. Small tears formed in her eyes. "What do you do together, Zuko? What do you get out of her that you don't from me?"

Zuko's lips closed tightly. He reached for her hands. "We don't do anything, Mai. We just talk."

She seemed to be more upset by this. "_Talk_, Zuko? You just _talk_?" She stood from the bed and threw a knife at the wall to calm herself down. "_We_ can talk, Zuko. You don't need her."

Zuko watched Mai pace the room. "What do want me to say, Mai?"

Tears ran down Mai's face. She was really upset. "Tell me that you won't see her again. Tell me that you have never been intimate with her," Mai screamed.

Zuko shook his head. "No," he whispered.

Mai held another knife in her palm. Her hands were shaking violently. She threw this one at the window which shattered into small shards on the deck. "No to what, Zuko?"

"I won't stop seeing her. Mai, one day you will understand why, but I can't tell you today."

Mai seemed to accept this. "And?" she asked.

Zuko had forgotten about the second question. He thought about how close he and Koori had been mere hours ago and shook his head. "No, Mai. We have never done anything like that."

She still didn't seem happy, but she nodded and relaxed a little. Zuko patted the empty spot next to him. Mai sat down and he wrapped his arms around her.

!

Koori woke up the next morning feeling groggy and disheartened. Suddenly, a pounding came from her door. She got out of her warm sheets and turned the knob. A young servant girl was pulling her brown hair behind her back and she seemed exasperated. "The Fire Lord has demanded the return of his entire harem. We will be leaving on the next boat at eleven," she muttered.

The girl turned before Koori could give her thanks. Koori closed the door quickly and stared at the trunk that she had never bothered to unpack. She folded the clothes that she threw on the floor the previous night and placed them delicately into the trunk. She rummaged through the bottom of it to find a nice kimono and pulled it out. Koori admired the craftsmanship on the kimono. It was a fine black silk with breathtaking pale blue dragons spitting fire on the edges. She took off her silk pajamas and placed them into her trunk.

"What a nice view," Zhao said with a small smirk.

Koori turned to the sound of his voice and blushed. She quickly pulled on the black kimono and kneeled beside the spirit. "Where have you been, Master?" she whispered.

Zhao frowned. "I have been around. There is no need to ask any more questions, Koori."

Koori stood, grabbed the top of her trunk and closed it tightly. She grabbed the edge and started to pull it to the door.

"Not even going to brush your hair for your new squeeze?" Zhao asked with a slight chuckle.

Koori stopped moving, dropped the trunk and opened it carefully. She took out of couple of morning necessities. A hairbrush, mirror, necklace, and some makeup filled her arms. She placed them all at her bedside table and pulled her brush through her ebony hair. She pulled it out of her face and Zhao sat next to her. She could feel his frozen hand on her shoulder. She could feel him attempt to grasp the black locks as she applied a small amount of lipstick. She smeared her lips together and grabbed the blue butterfly necklace. She clasped it around her neck.

"Your hair is too long. You should cut it soon, Koori," Zhao whispered.

Koori smiled at him. He liked her hair a little past her shoulders; it had grown dramatically since he had become a spirit. He reached for her hair but his hand glided through it. He frowned. All he wanted to do was touch her, feel her warm skin against his own, and hold her tightly in his arms like he once did.

Koori stood and grabbed the hairbrush and other morning supplies. She placed them delicately back into her trunk and latched it securely. She pulled her trunk to her door and dragged it haphazardly down the hall. She put it in the middle of the lobby in front of the entrance to the mansion. Other cases suddenly emerged and women stood huffing and complaining about moving their own bags. Koori exited the mansion to get one last morning by the beach. Zhao followed her eagerly. He wanted to spend time with her before they returned to the palace.

Koori sat in the sand away from the rising water. "The Fire Lord is holding a large party to thank his generals for their compliance at the meeting," Zhao whispered. "Do you know what you are going to do about Akira?" he asked slowly.

Koori turned to look at him. "No," she muttered.

!

Koori watched the Fire Lord's palace slowly come into view. She frowned when she saw the Head Mistress walk out and hold her hands high, waving desperately and happily to her harem. The carriage that Koori and her harem-members were riding in stopped at the back entrance to the palace. The Head Mistress greeted them all whole-heartedly and most of the ladies started to tell the Head Mistress their heartaches about carrying their own bags and being placed in a dilapidating mansion. The Head Mistress nodded unhappily at their complaints and hugged each of them. She stopped when she saw Koori.

"Ladies," the Head Mistress said with a slight smile, "I must speak with Koori alone, okay?"

The ladies nodded and the Head Mistress carefully grabbed Koori's arm. She guided the young concubine into the palace. They stopped at the entrance to Koori's room. The Head Mistress opened it hastily and shut the door quickly behind them.

"The Fire Lord has decided to throw a small party and he has decided to invite a select few members of his harem." The Head Mistress smiled and pulled a flowing blue dress from Koori's closet. Koori was reminded of the Water Tribe when she saw it. "This party happens to be themed for the four nations. The Fire Lord has decided that his special blue butterfly should be the queen of the Northern Water Tribe. As such, he has his designers make this especially for you, Koori. What do you think?"

Koori continued to stare at the blue dress. She smiled for the Head Mistress. "It looks beautiful. Please give the Fire Lord my thanks." Koori bowed to the Head Mistress and the chunky lady grinned.

"I will be sure to tell the Fire Lord your acceptance and your thanks. Please be sure that you head over to the baths immediately. We need to get you scrubbed and ready for the party. You will also be learning a small dance that is relevant to the Water Tribe. You need to be ready and dressed by seven."

The Head Mistress left and Zhao appeared. "Pretty," he sarcastically remarked.

Koori held the dress against her frame. "We can use this party to our advantage, Master," Koori said. Zhao looked at her; he seemed interested to hear what she had to say. "If I could somehow leave the party for a couple of minutes, I could quickly run to the message tower and send the Avatar a hawk."

Koori quickly sat down at her desk and scribbled a note out. Zhao hissed. "You shouldn't be so obvious, Koori," he tatted. Koori looked at him with questioning eyes. "You need to use a system. If your hawk gets taken down, think about the panic that will ensue. You need to create a system that somebody could use to protect yourself. I recommend using two hawks. Send the key to the code in one hawk and send the actual message secretly."

Koori smiled and set the scribbled-on parchment on fire. She grabbed another piece of parchment and burned several holes in it. She placed the holes onto another piece of parchment and wrote out her note. Zhao smiled at her system. To fill in the empty spots, she wrote gibberish. Nobody would be able to decode her note without the key.

Koori folded up the notes separately and tied them shut with hair ribbons. She hid them in a fold between the fabric of the blue dress that she was to wear in the evening. She put the dress back into the closet and slowly stepped out of her room. Zhao followed her to her bath and watched the servants undress her and then bathe her. The old Admiral could find some sort of enjoyment in watching his slave being bathed by a couple of sniveling servant girls. He waited until they exited and let her soak.

Koori sat amongst the bubbles and watched as Zhao got into his usual spot. "I think that you are doing something stupid by going up to that tower tonight. You are putting yourself in unnecessary danger by warning the Avatar."

"I could potentially save a lot of lives," she countered. Zhao chuckled.

"All of these lives are for the cause. They volunteered to give up their lives. Both sides did."

Koori shook her head. "There is no cause anymore. This war has shifted from its original intent."

Zhao laughed louder this time. "The original intent was pure domination. It never changed."

After a few moments of silence, the door opened and women entered the room carrying towels and a small silken robe. Koori stepped out of the bath and the servants dried her off quickly. Ai stood in the corner, directing the women carefully. Koori looked to her friend and smiled, Ai turned and Koori could see the bruise that encased the left side of her face. The concubine's face paled and Ai shook her head and put her hand up to her face to hide the bruise.

The Head Mistress entered the room while the girls were putting on Koori's makeup. She nodded at the blue and purple eye shadow. When she looked at Koori's eyes, however, she hissed. "Can we do anything about her irises? Blue and gold don't really go together in the Water Tribe."

Koori's servants paused and altered her makeup to include a couple of golden flecks. They would make the blue and gold melt together until she shown like a pure royal member of the Water Tribe. The Head Mistress smiled when they were done. "Oh," she whispered, "she looks lovely."

Koori's hair was next. They braided it down her back and pinned it around her head to represent a crown. Slivers of gold, silver and blue flower petals were pinned into her hair. The Head Mistress smiled when the servants were finished. "Beautiful," she whispered. The Head Mistress left and brought in the dress. "Make her bindings and lingerie white. I will be back when she is finished."

Zhao was leaning against the wall close to the door when the servants took off Koori's robe and started to bind her breasts. He stood straight up when the dress was firmly in place. Koori looked at Zhao for approval and he was too stunned to say anything. The blue hue of her dress reminded him of the ocean. He studied the dress carefully. Earlier when it was on the hanger did not do it justice. On Koori, it was the most beautiful piece of fabric around. The dress was backless; he could see down to the middle of her back. The straps were thick and wrapped neatly around her shoulders. The front was low-cut. He could see some cleavage, but it was a respectable amount. All around the dress were sparkles and somebody had taken the time to embroider beautiful purple snowflakes around the bottom hem. Each snowflake was different and he could count thirteen full snowflakes.

The Head Mistress reentered the room and smiled. She clapped her hands together and stared at Ai. "She looks lovely. The men will swoon over her." Ai stood before Koori and held out the blue butterfly necklace. She wrapped her arms around Koori's neck and clasped it.

"You look wonderful, Koori," Ai whispered.

Koori nodded and the Head Mistress dragged the concubine out of her room. Zhao followed closely. The chubby woman stood before Koori and another young woman was hauled before the two. Koori stared at her tan skin and black hair. The woman was about her age and was definitely from the Water Tribe. The girl's eyes lit up when she saw the concubine in her nation's regalia.

"What's your name, girl?" the Head Mistress barked.

The girl mumbled something unintelligible and the Head Mistress struck her. The girl fell to the floor and Koori moved forward. "Head Mistress," Koori whispered. The woman turned to stare at the concubine. "Is this the woman I am to be learning a dance from?"

The Head Mistress nodded quickly. "She was stolen from the Northern Water Tribe during the raid."

Zhao grunted. "It wasn't a raid, you crazy bitch."

Koori ignored the comment from the haughty spirit and smiled softly at the girl. "Dearest Head Mistress, may I learn this move by myself? I am sure that this girl means no harm to me and she will teach me appropriately," Koori pleaded.

The Head Mistress smiled. "Just knock if you need me, sweetheart," the Head Mistress chuckled. The Head Mistress gave the Water Tribe girl a threatening state. She left the room quickly and Koori kneeled to the Water Tribe girl once the door closed.

"Hello," Koori said with another soft smile, "My name is Koori, what is yours?" Koori extended her hand to help the young girl up. The girl stared at it and timidly took it. Koori helped her up but she still didn't seem like she wanted to say anything. "The Head Mistress has informed me that you are going to teach me a small dance for the party tonight."

The girl nodded and averted her eyes. "My name is Tula."

"That is a very pretty name, Tula," Koori whispered. "Could you begin teaching me, I was never really good at dancing and may need a lot of practice before the party. We do have two hours so that should be plenty of time to teach me."

Tula nodded and placed her hands inches in front of her face with her elbows bent. She did a small turn and shifted her hips slightly. She stopped and instructed Koori to mimic her movements. Koori tried and giggled. The Water Tribe girl stared at her awkwardly and redid the beginning of the dance. Koori had to ask her several times if she was doing it right and many times, the girl had to reinstruct the concubine.

"I wasn't kidding," Koori laughed. "I was never good at dancing."

"That's because I never took you out for a good night on the town. Dancing is just like bending. Just watch and move, watch and move," Zhao said. He returned to picking at his fingernails when he saw the Water Tribe girl open her mouth.

"Are you a bender, Miss Koori?" the Water Tribe girl asked.

Koori shook her head. "No, but I wish that I could do something as lovely as waterbend. I have heard that it is a beautiful art. The women in your region are skilled in healing, correct?"

The girl blushed. "Yes, we are."

Koori smiled. "Are you a bender?"

The girl gave a weak nod. "I am a healer."

"How did you get to be here?" Koori asked hesitantly. She knew that the walls had ears and she guessed that the girl knew as well.

"I was captured before the fighting began and was brought to the palace immediately afterword. Once the Fire Lord got word that I could heal, he sent me to the infirmary to heal his injured troops. It has been nice to practice my skills."

Koori nodded and the lesson continued. Near the end, Koori had to entire dance memorized. It was a very appropriate dance for a young Water Tribe woman. "Where did you learn this dance, Tula?"

Tula blushed. "It's actually a waterbending lesson that I illegally learned."

"Illegally?" Koori questioned.

"Women cannot learn anything other than healing in the Northern Water Tribe. I learned this from my brother after watching him for hours. I thought that it was pretty."

Koori nodded. She remembered how much Katara had fought against the waterbending stigma and how she had succeeded. While she was there, beside the war, the girl who had fought against Master Pakku was all they could talk about.

"It is very pretty, Tula. And I think that I have mastered it, what do you say?" Koori completed the entire dance without a flaw and the girl smiled.

"Yes, Miss Koori, I believe that you could become a master waterbender any day now."

"Thank you, Tula," Koori whispered.

Koori extended her hand to Tula and she took it. They shook hands and the door opened suddenly, revealing the Head Mistress. "Are you ready to show me what you have learned?" she asked. Koori nodded and did the dance again. At the end, she dipped low and extended her hands to her left. The Head Mistress clapped. "Wonderful, wonderful," she whispered. She glared at the Water Tribe girl. "I believe that Dr. Agra needs you. Run to him, girl." Tula sprinted out of the room quickly and Koori and the Head Mistress followed soon after.

Koori met three other girls wearing their respective grabs. The girl wearing the Fire Nation regalia was wearing a small tube top and dark crimson leggings. The leggings were partially covered by a gorgeous red skirt which was cut significantly down the sides. The Earth Kingdom woman was wearing their traditional styled kimono. It was tight against her frame and the fabric was a light green with several shades of brown throughout it. The girl in Air Nomad clothes seemed to be the most uncomfortable. She was dressed like a sexy monk girl. The yellow, brown, and orange fabric of her dress was too tight against her skin and it only had one strap across her left shoulder. A lot of cleavage was showing and she did as much as she could to pull her dress up.

"Lyn, stop worrying about the strap on that dress for Agni's sake. The men will swoon over how pretty you look. There is no need to worry," the Head Mistress barked.

The girl in the Air Nomad attire stopped fixing herself and they got into the appropriate order; Fire, Air, Water, Earth. The Head Mistress and a couple of guards led them to the room where many generals and other people had congregated. The Head Mistress leaned against Koori. "All of the people here are very high ranking. You won't see anybody below the rank of Commander tonight. Be sure to make a lot of nice friends; they may end up calling on you tonight or giving you gifts in the future if you are polite and socialize. This party is to show them a good time. Be sure to do it, Koori."

Koori nodded but she knew that she would be leaving the party early to attend to the letters in the fold of her dress. She put her hand on the fold to feel the stiff parchment. She smiled to herself and looked at the people around her. Men were staring at them hungrily. Their looks were probably because the Fire Lord had sent his entire harem away for a couple of days so they could focus on the advancement against the Earth Kingdom.

There were four large podiums at the front of the room marked with the elemental symbols. Koori and the rest of the young women took their positions and waited as the crowd died down. Suddenly, sungihorns blasted loudly across the crowd and two large, gold-encrusted doors opened to Koori's left. She watched the Fire Lord enter slowly. His son and daughter followed him side-by-side. The Fire Lord walked behind the women and sat in his throne. He waved his hand and a small tune started to play. The Fire Nation woman took her dancing position and started. Koori held her breath and stiffened. She had never done something like this before. She thought slowly and remembered the strength that she felt when she fought the firebenders while on Zhao's ship. She had displayed such confidence then; she would have to tap into that confidence. The Fire Nation girl's dance ended and applause overcame the crowd. The music changed and the Air Nomad began her dance.

The Air Nomad struggled in her dress and she stopped her performance to readjust the strap. Koori could see the Head Mistress's displeased look through the crowd. Koori stopped breathing when the crowd broke into applause. She was next.

The music changed to resemble the sound of flowing water. Koori closed her eyes when the music started and got into her position. She danced fluidly—much like the water that she was supposed to represent. She opened her eyes and looked at the crowd seductively when the waterbending move hit its fast point. It slowed down quickly and Koori closed her eyes when her dance was about to end. Her last position was bent to her lower left. She did something that wasn't in the dance move, however. She turned her head slightly to look at the Fire Lord. She could see him with his hands in front of his mouth. She could tell from his cheeks that he was smiling smugly at the flock of women in front of him.

The applause that rang out was sudden and she watched the Fire Lord join in as well. She blushed and remained in her final position, as she was instructed to do.

The Earth Kingdom girl's dance was loud and brief. When the girl was done, she could feel the Fire Lord's eyes return to look at her. Koori blushed once more and the girls stood erect at the same time. They stepped down off of their podiums quickly and traditional Fire Nation music started to play.

"I would recommend socializing a bit before leaving," Zhao whispered. "Your dance was very nice, by the way."

Koori smiled gracefully to an Admiral to her right. She bowed slightly to him and he walked casually up to her. "What is your name, young lady?" he asked.

Koori held out her hand and he took it. He gave her knuckles a small peck. "My name is Koori, what is yours?"

The Admiral smiled at the seductive tone in her voice. "Aito," he whispered. "Admiral Aito."

Koori nodded. "How has the Fire Nation Army treated you, Admiral Aito?"

"I have been treated very well. The Army suits me and I am proud to serve wholeheartedly for it. I would rather not talk about myself, let's talk about you. What is your specialty, Koori?"

Koori blushed and she felt Zuko behind her. "I do not have a specialty, Admiral," Koori whispered.

Aito laughed. "It's okay, Koori. You don't have to be modest here."

Koori shook her head and watched a couple of men turn their heads to stare at her. She looked hastily around the room.

"Well," Admiral Aito whispered as he offered his arm to her. She took it hastily to remove herself from the watchful eyes of the other men. "I see that you don't have much jewelry, I can change that, you know."

Koori shook her head. "I have no appetite for sparkly things. I would be content with a home in the middle of nowhere with my own garden, Admiral."

The Admiral laughed and Koori could feel Zhao stare at her closely. She could also tell that he was listening. "No appetite for sparkly things," the Admiral laughed, "what kind of a woman are you?"

Koori had to maintain her girly, amused demeanor. She giggled. "I am an abnormal kind of woman."

They walked around the room and Aito paused to view some people dancing. Two of the other concubines had been asked and Aito looked to the young woman at his side. "Would you care to dance?" he asked.

Koori didn't respond. "The dance on the podium was the first that I have ever done. I fear that I may be no good, Admiral."

"Nonsense," the Admiral scoffed. "It's not hard; let me teach you."

He swung Koori around and put his arm against her back. He held her left hand tightly in his and waltzed them around the room. Koori picked up his steps quickly. She followed the advice that Zhao had given earlier that night. "Just like bending," Koori muttered to herself.

Aito's ears perked. "What did you say?" he asked.

"Something that I was told earlier today. Just gibberish," Koori whispered.

The Admiral continued to dance but somebody tapped on his shoulder. Aito stopped and turned. Koori's face flushed when she saw Akira.

"May I steal your lovely partner, Aito?" Akira asked.

"Of course, Akira," Aito said with a grim smile.

Akira wrapped his arm around Koori's back and Koori placed her hand onto his shoulder. He kept a steady grip on her left hand and Koori winced and he seemed to crush her fingers together.

"Your outfit is," he pulled closer to her ear, "appropriate."

Koori shivered. "I think that you have taken up enough of my time, Admiral," Koori hissed. She attempted to get out of his grasp but his grip was solid. "Let me go or I will scream," she threatened.

Akira dropped his strict grip on her and walked away. Koori stood in the middle of the dance floor, ashamed. Another figure approached her and she looked up to see Zuko. He held out his hands for her. Koori took his offer desperately. He waltzed her around the room delicately.

"Where did you go last night?" he asked. "When I woke up, Mai started to yell at me. She didn't scare you off, did she?"

Koori shook her head. "Oh no, I was already leaving when I saw her."

Zuko stopped to twirl her and she twisted awkwardly around his hand. "You are really bad at this," he muttered.

Koori bit her bottom lip and looked up. Zuko was suddenly turned on by the erotic look of her face. He was happy that his suit was made of steel. "I know that I am not good at this sort of thing, please don't do anything too obvious to show it off."

"I mean lying, Koori," he whispered against her ear.

Koori watched as somebody else tapped Zuko's shoulder. Zuko turned to look at his father and quickly offered Koori's hand to him. Koori bowed deeply before taking his hand. He gave a curt smile.

"It is nice to see you getting acclimated, Koori," the Fire Lord whispered.

"Thank you, Your Grace."

"You know," he whispered, "you and my son are getting uncomfortably close, I fear." Koori stopped breathing. "I cannot put my finger on which woman it is, but you or Mai is making him much happier since the last time that I saw him." Koori started to breathe again. He pulled the concubine closer to himself and started to whisper in her left ear. "I just want to make it clear that Zuko's best interest is in Mai, not you. Do you understand, Koori?"

Koori nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Good. Please continue to have fun at my gala. You gave a very erotic performance for my audience." He broke away from her once the dance changed. Koori took this opportunity to get off of the dance floor and find a door. She found one in the corner of the room hidden in the dark. She looked back at her fellow concubines socializing or dancing and opened the door quickly. She left without anybody noticing; she would be back before anybody could notice as well.

Zhao was quickly at her side. "The tower is over here," he whispered. He walked in front of her and ushered for her to run alongside him. Koori quickened her pace and Zhao led the way. He stopped at a large spiral staircase. "It's up here."

Koori started to sprint up the staircase. She pulled up the hem of her dress to make it easier. Zhao stopped and ordered for the concubine to quiet. "I want to be sure that there aren't any guards," he whispered. Koori nodded. He flew up the stairs and came back down momentarily. "There is nobody up there. You are a very lucky woman tonight, Koori."

Koori continued to sprint up the stairs. She found herself at the top quickly and pulled the letters out of her pocket. She reached for a hawk quickly and rolled the letter up tightly. She stuffed it into its pouch and looked at Zhao.

"What do I say to it?" she asked. She had never thought of this situation before.

"Describe the Avatar to him. He will understand," Zhao said with a slight smirk. The animal jumped at the sound of Zhao's voice.

Koori paused to stare at the bird. "It's a young boy with a blue arrow on his forehead. He will be around a large white bison with a brown arrow and a tan boy and girl. Please fly fast and strong." Koori watched as the bird took off swiftly.

She waited a few minutes in case the tower was being watched. She grabbed another bird and repeated herself. She begged the bird for a quick flight.

"And here I thought that you just wanted to leave the party because of me," Akira laughed. He entered the observation deck. His yellow eyes caught sight of the bird and he reached for it.

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like I rushed this chapter just a little bit. Please let me know if you felt the same. Also, don't forget about the next chapter.<strong>


	17. The Details

**I am going to warn you about the rape that is about to happen in this chapter. Oh yes, it is what you have been waiting for but is not as uncomfortable as you would think. It will get wose, or better. I haven't decided yet.**

* * *

><p>Koori cringed as he stepped closer. Her fingers separated and the messenger hawk took off. Akira watched the bird fly away and he smiled. "I've been following you since you came back from Ember Island," he chuckled. His coy smile disappeared as he strutted even closer to her. He stopped when he was about two feet in front of her. "You aren't as bright as I thought you were; doing something like this while the palace is filled with Fire Nation soldiers," he tatted. He looked beyond her body, out to the hawk.<p>

Koori's eyes glanced over to the messenger hawk that she had released. She watched helplessly as another hawk attacked hers. The attacking hawk grabbed the scroll and flew over to Akira. Her bird fell dazed and confused to the ground. Akira's hawk landed silently on his armored shoulder with her scroll lodged tightly in its beak. He tore off the seal and looked over the confusing jumble of symbols. His confused face told Koori everything. He couldn't understand it, she mused. He glanced at the girl and frowned.

"Well," he whispered, "It's a good thing I have been following you for a while." Another bird flew up to him and he patted it lightly on the beak. He pulled out the other scroll—the one she had sent mere minutes before. He placed the parchment with holes on top of the scroll. He read the note out loud, "They know about the Day of Black Sun. The Earth King told Azula everything. Attack before Sozin's Comet." When he was finished, he rolled up the pieces of parchment and shook his head. "This is treason, you know," he sighed. "People who are accused of treason die immediately, without trial."

He lunged for Koori and she jumped away from him. She pulled up her bright blue dress and barrel-rolled across the floor. She sprinted to the door. She bolted down the hall and turned three corners until she slowed down. Koori stopped to catch her breath. She grasped the wall close to her for support and listened intently as her heartbeat slowed down. She wanted to hear his footsteps; she needed to know where he was. Koori held her breath and listened to the uncomfortable silence. She closed her eyes and she felt a hand grab her extended arm and she jerked back.

Akira jumped backwards to block the punch of fire that Koori threw at him. He looked down at the scorch marks in front of him and hissed. "Trying to kill me, eh? That's another treasonous act, young lady."

He chased her down the hallway and lunged once more. He caught the edges of her blue dress and drug her to the floor. He clutched onto her hair and pulled her head towards him. Koori's hands found the roots to her hair and she clung onto them, hoping to alleviate the pain. He pulled her back and twisted his hand around in her hair. He pulled her from the ground and wrapped his free hand around her waist. Akira pulled her tight to his body. She could feel his hot, enraged breath against her face. "It may have taken me a while, but I finally have you," Akira whispered.

"When Prince Zuko sees that I am missing, he will come looking for me," Koori hissed. Akira pulled the young girl closer to him. His lips were only centimeters from her painted lips.

"I doubt the prince shows much interest in you other than in his nightly routine. You are easily replaceable, but very desirable." He smashed his lips against hers. She pulled back and released her hands from the base of her hair. She pounded on his chest but he didn't budge. He laughed when he pulled back and threw her face-first into the wall to his left. He smirked at the sound of her skull hitting the wooden paneling.

Koori fell to the ground, unconscious.

Akira kneeled beside her and pushed black strands of hair out of her face. He grinned at his catch. Her forehead had busted open, revealing a thick line of blood. He licked his finger and wiped off the blotches that had formed on her face. Akira rubbed her blood onto her dress and grabbed her forearm. He looked around and pulled Koori's body off of the floor. He placed her on his shoulder and kicked the paneling in front of him. The paneling slid backwards and Akira pulled it to the right. He entered the secret passageway and walked expertly to his quarters within the confines of the palace.

!

Koori woke up in chains. She looked herself over and found that her dress had been taken off. She was left chained up in her underclothes. She winced when a chain snagged her skin. She looked at the metal clasp around her wrist and shuddered. She pulled her arm to her face and she lost her footing. Her eyes immediately adjusted to the light and she stared at the odd contraption that she was chained in. She pulled her arm downward and the heel of her foot rose. She did the same with her other arm and the same happened. Koori growled and remained still. She looked around the room for any sign of life.

The room was dark. There were a couple of windows, but the blinds had been pulled closed and the little sunlight that there was came through the bottom inch of the windows. A few candles had been lit throughout the room. There was just enough light to see a mahogany desk with several large pieces of parchment scattered across it. One chair was pulled out from in front of the desk and was facing her. Her back shivered.

Light suddenly entered the room and Koori turned her head. Akira walked in, staring absently at a piece of paper while he walked slowly to his desk. He looked up and smiled as he threw the parchment onto his desk. "Oh, what to do," he mused. "I suppose that I should just torture you a little bit. Just for fun, of course."

Koori watched him untie the strings to his breastplate and shoulder pads. He lifted the armor off of his body and threw it across the room. It landed loudly and Koori jumped. He stood before her in his underclothes. He took off his shirt and threw it in another direction. Koori watched him intently as he grabbed some fire from a nearby candle and held it lightly in his palm. He grabbed a piece of parchment from his desk with his free hand. He held it up to her face.

"I'm just going to assume that Zhao taught you how to read. You were his prized possession, after all."

Koori read the paper quickly. It was about her brother in Ba Sing Se. It listed his address, his rank, his wife, his salary, and a detailed description of his characteristics. Koori held her breath. She wanted to listen to everything that Akira had to say while she figured out how to free herself from the contraption that she was trapped in.

"I found these in Zhao's desk." Koori looked into his eyes, confused. She had cleaned his desk every day that she had been by his side. She had never seen anything about her brother. "Each desk has a nice little hiding spot. They are all in the same spot; the only difference is the combination. Firebending has a nice way of getting you through all of that."

He pulled the parchment away from her and glanced over it. He pulled another one from the pile and read it aloud. "'She shows an increased skill in firebending. Her ability to heal has increased as well.'" He looked at Koori and showed her the paper. She read Zhao's handwriting hastily. The entire paper was about her firebending abilities and her progress through the years. It contained several dates; the first one was the day that Zhao met her and the last one was the day that he invaded the Northern Water Tribe.

"Here's the fun thing," Akira whispered. He threw the parchment onto the desk and pulled the chair in front of her. He pulled his left ankle onto his right knee and pulled his arms behind his head. He looked relaxed. Koori flinched as a chain caught her skin and pinched her. "I did some research about that first date that he has listed there," Akira said. "It turns out that Zhao was scheduled to raid a Fire Nation village of war sympathizers. He was ordered to kill all of its citizens. One question, though. Why didn't he kill _you_? Or your brother, for that matter?"

Koori watched Akira's hand reach over to the desk and grab another piece of parchment. This one was her wanted poster. He shook it in front of her. "I sent this out soon after I found out another little detail." Akira paused and reached for Koori's face. She pulled her head out of his grasp. He side-swiped her legs and she collapsed face-first into his lap. "That's better. You see," he said with a slight smirk, "you were the only one that was supposed to die that day." Koori pulled herself backwards. The chains got in her way and one managed to wrap itself around her neck. It pulled tighter around her neck as she struggled to get out of it. She looked to Akira for help but he merely smiled until she started to choke. He stood from his chair right before she was about to lose consciousness.

He unwrapped the chain from her neck and watched her struggle to breathe. Koori looked at him. Her face was filled with confusion and held a slight amount of fear.

She opened her mouth. She needed water to talk. He seemed to read her mind. He left the comfort of his chair and strutted across the room. He returned with a cup of water. He held it in front of Koori for her to see. He pulled the cup to his lips and took in a mouthful of water. He put his lips onto Koori's and she had no choice but to open her lips and take the water from his mouth. He pulled away from her when she swallowed. Dribbles of water fell out of the corners of her mouth. Akira watched the water evaporate quickly. Koori was subconsciously firebending.

"My initial question was, 'Why you?' What makes you so important?" Akira looked to the base of the chains at the other side of the wall. He stood from his chair and walked to the wall where the chains were bolted. Spare chain links dangled loosely down the wall. Akira loosened the chains which decreased the tension until Koori was able to lie on the floor. He returned to his chair. "It took some prodding, but the Fire Lord finally told me everything that I wanted to know. In confidence, of course."

Koori looked up at him. She made her eyes look pleading, like she _needed_ to know everything that he was saying. The longer that he talked meant the more time that she wasn't being physically tortured.

"Apparently, when Princess Azula was born, a prophecy was delivered. It mentioned a girl with the ability to make colorful fire and another who was able to heal burns. The Fire Lord was told that the girl who would bend colorful fire would be his daughter and the girl who could heal was almost three and showing signs of her mystical ability. Unfortunately, that was all that the wicked old witch was able to give up. Prince Ozai had to figure out the rest by himself," he was sneering at this point. "He found you with the help of one of his most famous generals. General Jeong Jeong was quick to send back his report of the little girl with her beautiful ability. Funny, when I read the recon report, he seemed envious."

Koori remained still. Jeong Jeong, she thought. It's all coming together.

"There are a couple of letters here, too," Akira said with a slight yawn. He pulled his chair to his desk and held a couple of letters in front of his face. He read a couple of lines aloud. "'There is a young girl in the village that is showing significant signs of being able to firebend. I confronted this girl and asked her demonstrate her abilities. She scorched herself and her skin miraculously healed itself. I have never seen anything like it. There was no mark on her but she managed to feel the burn. She returned to playing with her friends soon after the incident. The division kept a close eye on her afterwards.' That letter is from Jeong Jeong to Ozai. Here is one that is even more special, though." He sifted through the letters and found the one that he was referencing.

"'Zhao, it has come to my attention that you are to destroy a Fire Nation village in order to eradicate the presence of a young girl who has an ability to firebend. This girl is special and she must be protected. Take her in and protect her.' It's signed by Jeong Jeong," Akira whispered. "It's a good thing he deserted the Fire Nation before anybody ever saw these. Zhao should have destroyed everything before he was killed."

Koori started to breath slowly when Akira stood up to toss the letter onto his desk. He turned to her and put his hand onto the bruise that had reopened. "It's sad that I had to damage your pretty face. Zhao always made sure never to harm it, I am sure that he would be very upset that I did." Akira smiled and reached for his covered genitals. He stroked himself and stood up. He grabbed Koori's face and roughly kissed her. "I am growing bored of our mindless chatting. It's time that I had some fun with you, traitor."

!

Zuko paced his room. It was almost midnight; Koori should have entered his room two hours ago. He opened his door and peered outside. The two guards at the edges of his door suddenly stood at full attention.

"May we help you with anything, Your Highness?" one asked.

"Have you seen her yet?" Zuko asked. The tone in his voice seemed desperate.

The guard shook his head. "I haven't seen her since your trip to Ember Island," he whispered. Zuko exited his room and closed his door with a loud slam. "Where in Agni is she?" he huffed. He walked down his hallway and exited his wing. Koori could only be at one of a couple of places. He would first check the harem wing and then he would probably have to go to his father. Maybe he had requested her. His stomach turned at the thought of his father and Koori together. He stopped walking and held his head. He had to continue walking, he had to make sure that she was safe.

He stalked the halls until he saw it—the double mahogany doors that led to his father's harem. He paused and glanced at the two guards who stood at its sides. They stood uncomfortably at attention, waiting stupidly for Zuko to say something. "Do you expect me to open it myself?" he barked.

The guards jumped and both opened the doors quickly. Zuko strutted through it and several women stopped their exercises to watch him. Most were naked and sprawled around the room in various positions. Zuko's face flushed at the sight. A lone woman started to walk up to him hastily.

"Prince Zuko," the Head Mistress said with a small smile. With a wave of her hand, all of the women quickly dispersed behind the several doors that lined the hallways to his left and right. Each door had a small placard on it. The concubine's names were inscribed with black ink. Zuko turned his head to the only woman left in the large room. The Head Mistress walked hesitantly up to him; she was wearing a light purple kimono that slid slowly around her bulky frame. "May I help you with something?"

Zuko was seething. "You know damn well why I came to this cesspool." The Head Mistress clenched her jaw and her lips pressed together tightly. She shook her head and forced an uncomfortable smile. "Where is Koori?"

The Head Mistress's face paled. "I assumed that she was with you. The girls told me that you both forged an uncommon bond during your vacation, Prince Zuko."

Zuko ran into her and pushed her into the wall. His fists wound around the fabric on her shoulders. He pulled the purple fabric tight until he could hear some of the seams pop. "Does it look like she is with me? Would I come to this place if she was?"

The Head Mistress smiled and lightly touched Zuko's clenched wrists. "I will send out a small search party to find her. It is a large palace; it may take a while to find her. Perhaps I can interest you in another one of your father's women to appease your appetite."

Zuko growled and let the woman go. He rubbed his hands together to get rid of the smell of the Head Mistress's perfume. He barged through the doors and stalked the hallways once more. He would find her himself, he promised.

!

Akira tightened the chains and Koori rose to her feet. Her arms hung limply from the contraption in front of her face. She tried to pull them down but her heels of her feet rose from the ground. She stood uncomfortably on her tiptoes until she let her arms rise. She could hear Akira snicker.

He stood behind her, watching her every move. Slowly, he walked toward her. Koori could hear the pads of his feet hit the wooden floor. She shivered when she felt his calloused hand on her back. Another hand wound around her front and grabbed at her covered breasts. She could feel the heat in his hand and the small fire that burned through the bindings on her chest. She felt the cold air on her exposed nipples. Her breath hitched when the fire burned her. She groaned and closed her eyes as she attempted to heal herself.

Akira pulled himself closer to her. His chest was firmly against her back. "I like things more when my women can fight back," he whispered. "Be a good little girl and do what I want, okay?"

Akira left her backside and Koori watched him pick through his desk. She noticed that he was only wearing his underwear. She could clearly see an erection. She shivered once more when he turned toward her with a gleaming iron key. He grabbed her foot and looked up at her. He kissed her stomach and smiled. "I will be a little nicer if you cooperate. Promise not to kick me and you will spend a comfortable evening beside me and not in this. Do you understand?" Koori slowly nodded her head. He looked down and unchained her left foot. She placed it solidly on the ground, knowing full well that it would be unwise to attack him while she was still chained in his contraption. "Good girl."

!

Zhao watched Zuko walk angrily through the hallways. He wanted to push Zuko in the right direction but he could do nothing to help the furious firebender. Zhao growled as Zuko made a wrong turn. "You're going the wrong fucking way!" Zhao shouted. "Akira has her, you fucking idiot!"

Zuko stopped walking and turned around; he would have to go to his father.

!

Akira finally unchained her right arm and Koori punched fire at his head. Akira dodged by ducking downward and he grabbed her around the waist. He wrapped his arms around the firebending healer and tossed her across the room. She landed a couple of feet from his bed. While she struggled to stand, Akira bolted across the room, grabbed her ebony hair and tilted her head backward. He kissed her violently and pushed her backwards a couple of more feet. The back of her knees hit the bed and she fell into it.

She could hear Akira's coarse laugh and she soon felt him against her. Koori punched fire in all directions. Akira managed to avoid it all and he caught her wrists. He pinned them to the mattress and crawled on top of her waist. He pinned her legs with his ankles—he was oddly hovering over her and straddling her. "This is the most fun that I have had in ages," Akira huffed out.

Koori gathered saliva and spit in his face. Akira growled and let go of one of Koori's wrists to wipe the spit off of his cheek. She punched him in the gut but his hardened abs took the blow and he didn't flinch. "If you keep spitting, you won't get any more water. I will drain your fucking body until you plead with me, you stupid bitch." Koori's lips tightened together. Akira let go of her other wrist and hastily jumped off of her legs. He flipped her over before Koori even knew what was happening.

He pushed her down onto the mattress with his bodyweight and Koori growled. She attempted to pull herself up and kick him in the groin. Akira laughed and forced her back down. She kicked her legs sporadically. Akira grabbed at her underwear and yanked them off. He clenched fist ended up holding pieces of ash as the lingerie burst into flames.

!

Zuko stopped at the entrance to his wing of the palace; his father's wing was further down the hall. He stood still in thought. Koori had mentioned something the last time that he saw her, but he couldn't remember what. He pushed his back against the hallway wall and slid down it with his head in his hands.

Zhao stood in front of the boy. "You really are stupid," Zhao whispered. "Koori went to send the Avatar a message. She went to the message tower." Zuko looked up. He seemed to look straight into Zhao's eyes. The spirit flinched and growled. "What are you doing sitting around?! Go find Koori! She is in trouble!"

Zuko continued to sit on the floor and stare into the distance. Zhao watched the Fire Prince angrily.

!

Koori whimpered when she felt his coarse hand against the curve of her back. She could visualize the memory of Zhao placing his hand on her back and burning her. Akira's hands wound around her smashed torso and he grabbed at her breasts. He squeezed her soft skin and pulled her onto her knees. Koori felt his manhood against her inner thigh. She shivered when she felt his hand inside her.

Akira mumbled when he felt how dry she was. He groaned when he threw her back onto the mattress. She felt his hand against her back to pin her down. "I am going to let you go, wench; just remember that I have your clothes—it would be foolish to leave without them, especially when you don't know where you are." Akira removed his hand from her back and she sat upright and jumped from the bed. Akira tackled her and threw her back onto the mattress. Koori moaned and rolled around on the sheets. Akira quickly returned to the mattress and flipped her onto her stomach. He pulled her onto her knees once more and pushed her head into the sheets. He rubbed a cream onto himself and threw the half-filled jar across the room. Koori heard it shatter against the wall.

He mounted her and she closed her eyes as his penis delved deep inside her. He moaned—Koori could sense that he had been imagining this day since their first encounter. His thrusts were slow at first, but they steadily increased. Koori grabbed the sheets below her and clutched onto them. She pulled her elbows under her body and she lifted her torso up. Akira grunted and greedily watched the outline of her breasts jiggle in the firelight.

Koori winced when she heard the slapping of his scrotum against her buttocks. She could feel him glide easily inside her with the aid of the cream that he used. She suddenly felt his curious fingers linger around her clitoris. He massaged it roughly which sent countless waves of uneasy pleasure through Koori.

She yelped when he stopped to slap her buttocks. He wrapped his arms around her legs and lifted her legs into the air. He went deeper and deeper with each thrust. Koori's hands continued to clench onto the crimson sheets. She tried to imagine a different place; all that she could think of was the serene picture of staring into the sunset on the beach.

The picture disappeared when he flipped her over and mounted her again. His mouth found hers and he forced his tongue into her mouth as he pumped faster and faster. Koori punched his pectorals and he smiled between his kisses. He stopped momentarily and punched her in the stomach. All of the air in her lungs was pushed out and she gasped for breath when he once again reentered her and continued. Koori gulped for air to replenish her lungs.

She felt Akira's fingers against her clitoris once more and she groaned as his feather-light touches sent more waves through her body. Akira's pace quickened once more and he started to roughly fondle her clitoris. Koori's eyes closed tighter and tighter until she felt Akira slap her.

"You," he grunted, "will…look….at me." Koori glared at him in between his rough, forceful caresses. He groaned deeply and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he ejaculated. Koori winced and let out a small whimper; it felt like her insides were on fire. Akira withdrew himself and tossed himself onto the bed next to the struggling girl. He grabbed her and pulled her close. "Be a good girl and I won't tie you up and let my best men have a go at you."

Koori huffed and stopped moving. She knew that she would be able to escape while he was asleep. She would grab as many of Zhao's documents as she could, grab whatever clothes she could find and then escape through the closed windows.

Akira wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and his right hand cupped a breast. He inhaled deeply and kissed her shoulder blade. "I have waited for this for a long time, Koori. You were worth every second of it." He flicked his wrist and all of the candles around his room extinguished themselves. Koori stared at the wall in the darkness. She was determined to wait and escape.

He fell asleep hesitantly. The young healer waited until she knew that he entered a deep sleep. Koori wiggled carefully and slowly out of his grasp. She slowly lifted herself from the bed and stopped when she saw Akira move to get himself more comfortable. She tiptoed across the room and rummaged silently through his desk. She found the papers that she wanted and folded them tightly into her fist. She looked around the room and found the shirt that Akira tossed across the room earlier. She pulled the shirt over her head and tiptoed across the room to where the moonlight shone brightly through the wooden slats that covered the window. She hesitantly pulled the blinds up and looked to see Akira sleeping soundlessly. She pressed against the glass of the window.

This action would normally have popped the window open but it remained closed. Koori inspected the window and saw the decorative wooden bars that prevented the window from opening. She heard a small laugh and turned her head to see Akira watching. She could see him flick his wrist and a candle at his bedside table burst to life.

"It seems that you cannot escape as easily as you planned," he whispered. He stood from the bed and the moonlight from the open window shined down onto his naked body. Koori frowned and backed herself into the corner of the room. Akira strutted across the room and stopped at his desk. He pulled a drawer open and withdrew a flask. He threw his head back and took a deep swig. Koori licked her lips.

He turned to face her and smiled. "Come here; I will give you some if you put my papers back."

Koori clutched tighter onto the yellowing parchment. She stepped forward and glanced to her right. Akira watched her closely as she examined the door which would lead to the rest of the palace. He threw the flask at the door and the metal resounded loudly off of the wood. Koori crouched back into the corner and watched the alcohol poor out of the flask and onto the wooden floor.

"I believe that I told you 'come here,'" Akira growled. Koori stood slowly and crept silently to him. Koori dropped the parchment at his feet. Akira grinned and grabbed her shoulder. He lifted her up easily and threw her onto his bed. She remained still and soon felt him join her. He pulled her close and smelled her skin. "I could get used to this," he muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>What is Koori to do? Should she escape, or should Akira be the one to decide her fate? And why in Agni is Zhao following Zuko and not around his beloved concubine? I have the ending decided, but the stuff in between is still fuzzy and could use some reviewer suggestions. I am open for them, promise.<strong>

**You may also get your name mentioned! Oh! I have cookies for people with good ideas too!**


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